Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge snubbed former Reds teammate Luis Suarez in order to pick Nicolas Anelka in his ultimate XI. The 28-year-old played alongside the likes of Anelka and Didier Drogba during his time at Chelsea, and he had no second thought picking the pair in a 4-4-2 formation.
In a report covered by Metro, Sturridge spoke about the guidance offered by Anelka during their time in west London, he said: “Growing up, I was an Arsenal fan and Anelka was my favourite striker at the time so I’ve got an affinity to him. He helped me out a lot and gave me a lot of advice. I love the way he plays the game – he’s just so elegant on the pitch. ‘The way he ran, the way he passed the ball, the way he used to chop defenders which is something that I took from him. He’s probably the best player I’ve seen at faking to shoot to create himself a yard which, in the box, is everything as a striker. He could create goals. He could do everything.”
Suarez and Sturridge together scored 52 goals during the 2013/14 campaign where Liverpool came on the cusp of winning the Premier League title, but the Englishman’s decision to snub his ex-teammate has sparked rumours of tension during their time together at Anfield.
The England international was regarded as the go-to for club and country until the World Cup finals in Brazil, but he has since struggled with a series of niggles which have dropped him down the pecking order. The marksman is currently plying second fiddle to Roberto Firmino for the centre-forward role at Liverpool and his Three Lions future looks bleak unless he gets a regular run of games.
Jurgen Klopp’s side entertain Chelsea in Saturday’s late Premier League kick-off at Anfield, and the Englishman is likely to be limited to a bench role owing the presence of the likes of Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, who are in sublime form playing in a front three.