England’s Sturridge hits out at ‘unfair’ criticism
DANIEL Sturridge has hit back at claims he is selfish and insists that his status as a team player for England is being unfairly questioned.
The Liverpool striker set England on their way to a 3-0 victory over Scotland on Friday with the opening goal and also began the attack which led to Adam Lallana’s match-clinching second — but there was a lack of warmth in the ovation he received when substituted in the 73rd minute.
Sturridge came in for criticism after last month’s 0-0 draw against Slovenia and he was the subject of mocking videos on the internet, the most notable of which was a clip of Alan Partridge shouting ‘Dan! Dan!’ to mimic exasperated team-mates when they never received a pass from him.
This has been a difficult season to date for the 27-year-old, who is no longer an automatic starter at Liverpool, but he has scored twice in his last three games for England and thinks the scrutiny to which he is being subjected is not reflective of his performances.
‘I’m not worried about what other people say about me,’ said Sturridge, when asked if he was aware of the criticism.
Asked whether he believed it was valid, he responded bluntly: ‘It’s not fair. I feel I contribute to the team. I assist, I score goals. It doesn’t matter what people say about me.’
In the circumstances on Friday, though, Sturridge did well to make an impression.
England’s performance lacked charm and, to prove that point, Sturridge only managed to make 17 passes in the time he was on the pitch. He didn’t touch the ball for the first time until the 23rd minute.
Watching him in the laboured opening stages, it seemed as if he decided to grasp the initiative and make something happen himself, dropping 40 yards from goal to get his first touch.
‘I feel that if I’m coming short to get involved, there is nobody up front in the centre forward position and it is important for the team to have a focal point,’ said Sturridge. ‘If I drop deep, do skills and take people on, then there is nobody up front and that is where I need to be.
‘I need to be between the lines, threatening the centre-halves, pushing them and creating space for other people. It is about being involved in the game as much as possible. You have to be aware. My job is to score and to create for the team.’
Gareth Southgate will make his final decision today about whether to retain Sturridge in tomorrow’s friendly against Spain but, regardless of whether he starts, or makes way for Jamie Vardy, he has made it clear that this contest holds the same significance as a World Cup qualifier.
‘It’s important that we show our football and show the way we play and how the manager wants us to play,’ said Sturridge. ‘It’s all about the performance. I do think it matters about the result, by the way. I disagree with that. The result matters. Nobody wants to see us lose or play badly. The result is very important.’
Meanwhile, Southgate has urged the Football Association to resolve his future by the end of the month as he closes in on the full-time England job.
Barring a huge shock, he will be appointed Sam Allardyce’s permanent successor. Wembley chiefs, though, remain committed to the recruitment process, which means it is unlikely Southgate will be informed of his future immediately after tomorrow’s match against Spain.
But the 46-year-old believes it is in the FA’s best interests not to delay the appointment, saying: ‘It would be important for me to know what I’m doing after the middle of November.
‘It’s not my decision. I’ve enjoyed what we’ve done so far. We’ve got some more detail which we want to add in and the players are starting to see how we build that and how we build the amount of information and the need to work on slightly different things.
‘That’s the challenge for every coach. It’s for others to decide what will be the continuation for every team.’