Liverpool legend Mark Lawrenson thinks the stories about Daniel Sturridge wanting to leave the club were planted by the player’s agent.
It has been reported in some corners that Sturridge is keen to quit Anfield after growing frustrated with the way the club have represented his ongoing injury issues; but Jurgen Klopp brushed aside those reports in his pre-Sunderland press conference.
The striker, who recently returned to training after a hamstring problem, missed the earlier part of the season through hip and knee injuries, but was on the bench for the 2-2 draw with Sunderland on Saturday.
The England international has made a handful of appearances since the 2013/14 campaign, with Sturridge clocking up just 349 minutes over six games in all competitions this season.
And Lawrenson, who praised Sturridge’s goalscoring abilities, insisted that the 26-year-old needs to return to action if he wishes to represent the Three Lions in the European Championship in France in June.
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However, the former Liverpool defender feels there is no truth behind Sturridge wanting to quit to club, with Lawrenson blaming the forward’s agent for planting the story.
“I read the piece in one of the papers and it just looked to me like the agent had completely planted the story”, he said on LFC TV's preview show, while discussing Sturridge’s situation.
“Daniel is a wonderfully gifted footballer and a top top goalscorer. But we just need him fit.
“There will be an accountant in Boston, who works for FSG, looking at the money that he’s earning and thinking when is he actually going to come back to work.
“The lad needs to play, he wants to go to the Euros. He needs to start playing soon if he can.”
Sturridge, whose present deal with Liverpool runs until 2019, has scored 45 goals in 73 games for Liverpool.
