Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge has hit out at critics that have labelled him selfish, insisting that his place in the England team is being unfairly questioned.
According to the Daily Mail, the Liverpool forward has hit back at claims that he is a selfish player. When asked what he made of the criticism about his contribution to the team, Sturridge insisted that he is a team player.
“I’m not worried about what other people say about me,” the Liverpool forward said. “It’s not fair. It’s not fair. I feel that I contribute to the team. I assist, I score goals. It doesn’t matter what people say about me.
“I feel that if I’m coming short to get involved in the game, then there is nobody up front in the centre forward position and it is important for the team to have a focal point.”
This season has not been particularly impressive for the 27-year-old, as his injuries and poor form has seen him being used as a fringe player in Jurgen Klopp’s side. With just four starts in eleven league games, it is obvious that the Liverpool boss does not consider the Englishman as his first choice.
However, Sturridge’s performances have been slightly better on the international stage. The Liverpool forward played a pivotal role in England’s 3-0 win over Scotland on Friday. He bagged the first of three goals and started the move that led to Adam Lallana’s goal — the Three Lions’ third on the day.
The former Chelsea striker came under immense criticism after England’s 0-0 draw against Slovenia last month, and the match against Scotland on Friday started in the same vein. Sturridge did not manage to get a single touch on the ball until the 23rd minute and looked to be struggling with his positioning and movement on the day. However, he managed to bounce back from a slow start and arguably did enough to silence his critics for the time being.
Gareth Southgate will make his final decision on Monday as to whether or not to keep Sturridge in the team for the glamour friendly against Spain on Tuesday.
