Squad No: 23 Position: Forward
Age: 22
Birth Date: Sep 1, 1989
Birth Place: Birmingham, England
Height: 6' 2'' (1.88m)
Weight: 76 kg
Sturridge first burst onto the scene at Manchester City in 2007-08, but his contract was allowed to expire and he joined Chelsea in January 2010.
Having joined City's Academy in 2003 from Coventry, after previously training with Aston Villa, Sturridge's performances in the reserves ensured that he made his mark on the first-team after initially struggling with injuries.
Catching the eye of then-manager Mark Hughes, he was voted City's Young Player of the Year in his breakthrough season, but his hopes of making a mark were not helped by sporadic chances to impress. Ultimately, Sturridge grew tired of life on the sidelines and when his contract expired, he moved to Stamford Bridge.
In January 2010, a tribunal decided that Chelsea must pay Manchester City an initial transfer fee of £3.5 million, rising to £6.5 million depending on appearances for club and the senior England team, but it proved a bargain. After a loan spell with Bolton in 2010-11, Sturridge returned to make himself one of the Blues' most important players and he looks a promising prospect for both club and country.
Strengths: Pace and skill on the ball mark him out from his peers and he also has a cool head in front of goal.
Weaknesses: Doesn't track back as much as he should and he has yet to bring the consistency that is expected of him at the highest level.
Career high: The opening games of the 2011-12 season saw him make himself first-choice for Chelsea and he netted two goals against Bolton that rocketed him into the spotlight.
Career low: After a good start to life at City, he was pushed onto the sidelines and did not want to sign a new contract.
Style: Quick, tricky, a versatile forward with an eye for goal.
Quotes: ''He is an extremely quick player, and he has technique at pace. You get plenty of pacy players, but what is important is that he arrives with the ball, he can control it and do something with it. That is what he offers." Andre Villas-Boas on Sturridge in 2011.
Trivia: Sturridge comes from a footballing family as he is the nephew of former football strikers Simon Sturridge and Dean Sturridge.
