STURR CAN STILL PLAY LEAD ROLE
Hitman hopes to get in on act after Los Angeles trip
DANIEL STURRIDGE hopes to conjure up a Hollywood ending to West Brom’s disastrous season.
The on-loan Liverpool striker has been in Los Angeles trying to sort out the latest hamstring injury to blight his career.
Sturridge is believed to have forked out for the trip from his own pocket but that would have been loose change to the millionaire.
He has already pocketed £960,000 in wages since joining West Brom eight weeks ago.
Sturridge flew to the movie capital to see specialists and undergo a personal rehabilitation programme. West Brom have been struggling on without Sturridge’s services but look doomed to relegation.
The 28-year-old has played just 77 minutes for the Baggies since joining them at the end of January.
The £120,000-aweek England striker was drafted in by West Brom in a desperate bid for the goal power they hoped would save their season.
But with Albion bottom of the table and 10 ®Êby DAVE ARMITAGE points adrift of 17th-placed West Ham, their fate looks sealed.
Alan Pardew’s men have just seven games left and probably need to win six of them to stand a chance of a miracle escape.
They go into Saturday’s home game with Burnley on the back of a run of eight consecutive defeats.
Sturridge looks unlikely to feature but could be ready for the visit of Swansea on April 7.
His recruitment has proved costly and ineffective so far – he has not completed a game and has failed to score a goal.
Breaking
West Brom, who this week announced their wage bill is at breaking point, are paying all of the striker’s wages plus a £2m loan fee to Liverpool.
He first went to LA four years ago just after signing for Liverpool in a £15m deal.
He was back there last summer for specialised training and warm-weather rehab and was pictured with Hollywood ‘A’ lister Ben Stiller and rapper Drake at Khloe Kardashian’s 33rd birthday party.
Sturridge was hoping to use the Albion loan move to stage a late claim to be part of England’s World Cup plans.
But, with only three league goals all season – his last back in October – that bid looks to have about as much chance as the Midlands club have of staying up. FOOTBALL International friendlies: FA Women’s Super League: NHL: HOCKEY TENNIS ATP & WTA Miami Open – men’s 4th rd: Women’s quarter-finals: