I’m devastated after football ban: Sturridge

DANIEL Sturridge has admitted he is devastated to be banned from football until June for breaking betting rules and called on companies to be prevented from taking bets on transfers.

The ex-Liverpool ace (below) is suspended from all football-related activity until June 17 after the FA successfully appealed against the initial punishment given to him last summer.

Sturridge (30) was handed a two-week ban and £75,000 fine last June after an independent regulatory commission found he had given his brother inside information on a possible move to Sevilla in January 2018.

At the time, the FA revealed they had appealed against the findings as well as the sanctions. And an independent appeal board has now found the commission misapplied the

FA’s rules in relation to the use of inside information and made findings of fact which could not be sustained.

His fine has also been doubled to £150,000 and Fifa has confirmed that the suspension will be of worldwide effect.

Sturridge said: “The betting companies and the practice and process of people placing bets on players moving clubs has to be stopped, and although the appeal panel had recognised I hadn’t bet and no one else had, I was still charged.

“With that being said, it is devastating for me and I’m absolutely gutted about it. My season is over and I am devastated.”

Sturridge earlier mutually terminated his contract at Turkish side Trabzonspor.