There is no manager who has a closer relationship with Daniel Sturridge than Brendan Rodgers. The Celtic gaffer was the man who brought Sturridge to Anfield after he was languishing at Chelsea, and the striker repaid him in some style.
A magnificent partnership was struck with Luis Suarez and the modern day SAS brought Liverpool the closest they've been to a Premier League title in a long time. However, they fell short. Suarez was sold and although Rodgers tried to recreate a partnership by bringing in Mario Balotelli, it didn't really work. He was sacked halfway through the 2015-16 season and replaced with the eccentric Jurgen Klopp.
Sturridge hasn't been the same since Suarez left either. He's developed a reputation for being extremely injury prone. The stats that back it up make for grim reading for Liverpool fans
80 games in three and a bit seasons missed due to injury. It's no surprise that he hasn't quite hit the form of the 2013 season.
However, Rodgers has leapt to the defence of his former attacker in a lengthy interview with Talksport earlier today
There is no doubting his goalscoring ability but a number nine in the modern game now has to give more than that.
I brought him into the club because I wanted to build a team that was fast, dynamic, unpredictable, had power and pace and Daniel gave us all of that. He joined us in the January and for the next 18 months he was incredible.
They (the best players in the world) are churning out 50, 60 games a season, plus international games, so you have to be available. If he is available and he is fighting and pressing and running, everything else comes natural to him.
That's a fair enough assesment. When Sturridge is 100% fit, he's one of the most dangerous strikers in the Premier League. But the problem is he never stays 100% fit for an extended period of games.
His current goal drought stands at six games and doesn't look like ending any time soon. If you believe the papers, Klopp has ran out of patience and is looking to offload the striker before the transfer deadline day tomorrow.
If that is the case then maybe, just maybe, there could be a reunion in Scotland.
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