Last year, Sturridge was a talking point, but now he may regret it a little.
In the more than a year and a half since the launch of the football bead column, only one article has aroused a direct response from the relevant subjects - Daniel Sturridge.
On the morning of the 2021 UEFA Champions League final, the final was played against the striker's two former clubs, Chelsea and Manchester City. So GOAL published an article wondering if the two-time Winner of the Big Ears European Trophy would return to the professional scene.
This is actually a very normal problem.
At that point in time, Sturridge hadn't played professional football for more than a year and seemed comfortable in the United States. Go to the gym every day and hang out with oscar winners.
However, the England international has been adamant that he will return to the professional arena.
In fact, he did the same.
A year later, however, in the early morning of the 2022 Champions League final, another of Sturridge's old clubs competed. Is this a successful comeback for the England player? The answer is likely to be no.
Sturridge's enthusiasm for returning to the professional scene is evident, and he has repeatedly posted videos of himself training alone on social media in preparation for the 2021-22 season.
It was reported that Sturridge would join the Spanish side, and Real Mallorca had announced that he was training with the team.
However, it was not until October of that year that Sturridge signed a professional contract, and he agreed with Australian Premier League side Perth Glory.
Sturridge said at the time: "Taking on a new challenge, this is a great opportunity. ”
'When the opportunity comes, you have to take it, play elsewhere, enjoy football in a competitive league and help the team succeed as much as possible.'
The signing became an earthquake news in Australian football circles.
Tony Thatch, Perth's glorious chairman, said: "Daniel is undoubtedly not only the biggest player in perth history, but also in the history of the entire Australian Premier League. ”
"His arrival will mean our determination to succeed for the team and we will not bother to work towards that goal."
With 6 appearances, 0 goals, 138 minutes, 1 serious injury, that's what Perth Glory got back from Sturridge.
In fact, Sturridge has never played more than 45 minutes in a single game, with the only assist coming in the penultimate round against Western Sydney.
Perth's glorious season ended with the first ranking of 12 teams, 4 wins in 26 rounds, and only 18 points.
Not surprisingly, the club's perception of Sturridge underwent a major shift before the end of the season.
Team CEO Tony Pinata said in April: "It was disappointing, we had high expectations when we signed with Sturridge, but it didn't work. ”
"From a marketing point of view, the influx of 18,000 spectators in the first game really proved his appeal. But unfortunately, he was injured. ”
"Next year? Wait and see, I don't think we're going to renew his contract. ”
Of course, Sturridge can't pay for Perth's glorious losing season. After all, the team also suffered from a series of problems such as COVID-19 restrictions, injuries, and financial constraints, and it was difficult to win 16 games in more than 2 months, during which Sturridge did not play.
Sturridge is very active on social media and often posts clips of his life in Australia. However, from 20 February onwards, Sturridge never mentioned Perth Glory again. Instead, more attention will be focused on Liverpool's bid for the Premier League title.
Sturridge's trip to Australia will come to an end this summer, and he will also be a 33-year-old free agent.
So, as we did a year ago, we want to ask: will two-time Champions League winner Sturridge ever return to professional football? Once again, the answer is less clear.
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