Graeme Souness Says Daniel Sturridge Must Improve Attitude in Training to Succeed at Liverpool
Former Liverpool midfielder Graeme Souness has called on striker Daniel Sturridge to improve his attitude in training.
The 27-year-old has struggled to establish himself as a regular starter since the arrival of Jurgen Klopp, starting just seven Premier League games last season.
He has been linked with an Anfield exit this summer, but Souness has stressed that Sturridge has the quality to be a top performer if he can change his approach to training.
“If Daniel Sturridge didn’t have these issues of keeping fit, he’d be the first name on the team sheet,” he told talkSPORT. I think he’s got amazing qualities, but he just can’t get himself fit.
“I saw a game towards the end of the season and the camera panned on Sturridge and it showed him warming up, and it was pathetic. He wasn’t stretching properly, he was just going through the motions.
“If that’s him preparing for a game, if he’s like that every day in training, you’ve got to get that right first of all. That’s the first thing I’d look at – his training.
“You can get away with it in other positions, but not as a striker, when you’ve got to be bang at it and be explosive from the very first minute – something is going to go.
BIRKENHEAD, ENGLAND - JULY 12: Daniel Sturridge of Liverpool during a pre-season friendly match between Tranmere Rovers and Liverpool at Prenton Park on July 12, 2017 in Birkenhead, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
Alex Livesey/GettyImages
“I’m watching this kid warm up and I’m thinking, that just might be his problem. Try and get that right first, warm up properly, train properly, because the boy has exceptional talent and there are very few people out there with that kind of ability.
“Because where does he go after this? He’s been at big clubs like Manchester City and Chelsea before.
“If you’re thinking about him, you could watch him on any given day and think ‘wow, what a player’. But look at his stats – he doesn’t play enough games.”
