BILIC: I’M STURR CRAZY

Hammers boss hails Anfield misfit and injury risk as ‘great player’

SLAVEN BILIC has admitted he is a fan of “unbelievable” Daniel Sturridge, as he prepares to sort out his summer spending at West Ham.

Liverpool striker Sturridge, 27, missed last Sunday’s home game against Crystal Palace with a hip problem. West Ham have also been riven with fitness issues and injury-prone Andy Carroll will remain on the sidelines for the trip to Stoke tomorrow, with a groin problem, while Diafra Sakho is also a doubt. Bilic said: “I’m Andy’s biggest fan. It’s not a coincidence that, when we won six games out of nine, he was fit. “He played, he trained and the team around him knew that he was there. “That’s how big a blow it is when you are without him. “And when you are without Sakho as well, you are not going to win six out of nine. “It’s all related, the only thing about Andy is how many games he is going to be available to play.” Sturridge has been aware, since last summer, that he does not fit into the plans of boss Jurgen Klopp. Although he appeared as a second-half substitute in the wins over West Brom and Stoke this month, he is not expected to feature again for the rest of the season and could have kicked his last ball for the Reds. Bilic said: “If you talk about Sturridge as a player, especially if you go back two or three seasons, he was unbelievable. “Now, he plays very rarely, but I watched Stoke against Liverpool the other day. “He came on and, with a couple of passes, he broke their defence. He split them up with some great passing. So, he is showing that when he plays, but he plays very rarely. “They have a lot of quality there and I don’t like to comment on the decisions of other managers. I don’t know the situation there. I don’t see their training. “I’ve just seen enough of their games to know that, when they are fit, they are doing well. “Especially in that area with Sadio Mane, Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana. “So, what can I say? When he is on fire, Sturridge is a great player.”

COME AND JOIN US Sturridge has been struggling to break into Liverpool team, but he has a fan in Bilic (left)