Former Liverpool striker Neil Mellor believes a fully fit Daniel Sturridge will provide an option for Jurgen Klopp this season.
There was talk of Liverpool offloading the striker this summer after his disappointing loan spell at West Brom, but Sturridge has impressed during pre-season.
And he is set to continue at Anfield this season despite all the speculation over his future at the club.
Mellor believes the striker deserves credit for the way he came back to pre-season, fit and ready to impress the Liverpool manager, and feels a fit Sturridge will always score goals regularly for any side.
The former Red stressed that despite the potency of Liverpool’s front three, Sturridge could have an important role to play for Klopp’s side this season and will be a different option in attack.
Mellor told LFC TV: “I watched Daniel last season for West Brom.
“He went to West Brom, on loan, to probably score a few goals and try and keep them up but they went down and he didn’t score a goal.
“You are thinking where his future lies and he has come back in pre-season, he worked really hard in the off-season and has come back with the attitude, ‘I want to stay at Liverpool, I want to impress the manager’.
“A fully fit Daniel Sturridge scores goals and will get into those positions.
“He looks fit, but it’s the sharpness inside the penalty area. He knows how to find the back of the net.
“We know our front three are very exciting but there could be times when we need that different option from the bench to change things.
“And he could well be the option.”
Sturridge, who has a year left on his contract with the Reds, has netted 64 goals in 133 appearances for Liverpool.
