AWAY DRAW
Injured Prem star Sturridge puffs on shisha pipe at 2am
Doubts over club future
The 25-year-old England international, who has struggled with injuries all season, was snapped puffing away with a female companion in the VIP booth of a nightclub.
A single session on the powerful Middle Eastern tobacco pipes is said to be the equivalent of smoking 200 cigarettes.
The next day, striker Sturridge – currently nursing a hip injury – was at Anfield watching his Premier League teammates lose 2-1 at home to lowly Crystal Palace.
Our exclusive pictures were taken just before 2am on April 22 at Birmingham’s trendy Arabian Nites venue as €140,000-aweek Sturridge, wearing glasses and a hoodie, partied with friends.
An onlooker said: “He was having a great time. He was in the VIP section where all the celebrities like boxer Floyd Mayweather visit when they head to Birmingham.
“I don’t think the club or the fans would be happy to know a player was out doing this while the team was preparing for a massive game.
“Sturridge was with three blokes and a girl. The club boss said they had requested no one Sturridge in hoodie inhaling from shisha in Birmingham club take pictures, but everyone knew he was coming and they cleared out the VIP section.
“He’s from Birmingham so it was like he was celebrating with old friends. But when people started taking pictures he didn’t want to be seen and left the VIP area.”
Shisha pipes are used to smoke fruitflavoured tobacco, which is burned on hot coals, through a long tube.
ARSENIC
The British Heart Foundation warns against their use, pointing out the noxious fumes “contain nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide and heavy metals such as arsenic and lead.”
Sturridge is not the first England star pictured using them. Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere, on loan at Bournemouth, became embroiled in his third smoking controversy in 15 months after a snap emerged of the him holding a shisha at a club in February 2015.
He was recovering from ankle surgery after sustaining an injury during a defeat by Manchester United in November. The same year the Sunday Mirror revealed how Raheem Sterling – who has also been Blowing out smoke accused of inhaling “hippy crack” – was pictured smoking a shisha.
As was Dutch defender Patrick Van Aanholt last August, just a month before he was pulled out of Sunderland’s side at Tottenham because of health fears.
Sturridge’s future at the Anfield club has been in doubt for months.
On April 24 it emerged he was set to miss the rest of the season after it picking up another hip injury.
In the run-up to the Crystal Palace fixture he came off the bench to feature for 20 minutes against Stoke and 10 minutes against West Bromwich Albion.
But he has started in just nine games for Liverpool this season. He last played for England against Scotland last November in a World Cup qualifier, scoring one of the goals in a 3-0 win.
A spokesman for Liverpool declined to comment. Repeated attempts were made to contact Sturridge’s representatives but they failed to respond.
dan.warburton@trinitymirror.com
I don’t think the club or fans would be happy about him doing this SOURCE WHO WATCHED STURRIDGE ON SHISHA