Life in Australia has been challenging for former Liverpool star Daniel Sturridge since swapping Europe for the Isuzu UTE A-League.
From hotel quarantine and a gruelling bout of COVID-19 to being displaced from Western Australia along with his team-mates, Perth Glory’s prized recruit has had it tough in the A-League Men.
The 32-year-old former England international also hobbled off with a groin injury after 20 minutes in Wednesday’s 1-0 loss to Macarthur FC in Launceston.
Despite just five substitute appearances in a Glory shirt, the ex-Manchester City and Chelsea forward is committed to success with the Perth club.
“He has been very good. He’s been tested,” Glory head coach Richard Garcia told Neds about Sturridge’s challenging start with the team prior this injury. “He has been one of the guys tested.
“He’s had a couple of quarantines, which for him coming from the UK Where he was quarantining for two days and then getting out was a new thing.
“He had no family for the first three months and he struggled with that. You can tell he is a lot more settled now that the missus and little one are here. That again comes back to the human element, he is still human and he still needs to be happy in his life to perform.
“He’s come on in leaps and bounds. You can tell he is really invested in the group and playing in Australia.”
Since joining Perth following a stint with Turkish outfit Trabzonspor in 2019-20, Sturridge has been limited to 93 minutes of action in Australia.
Sturridge looks set for another spell on the sidelines after his latest setback – a half-time substitute against Macarthur, the Englishman was forced from the field in the 65th minute.
Glory team-mate Andy Keogh added: “He’s been fine. There’s a perception of big-name footballers that earn so much money and expect a life of luxury. That’s not the case.
“He came here with a point to prove. He’s been unfortunate with getting COVID and having a lot of symptoms after but he’s down to earth. He’s had a good upbringing. He has a good background of family behind him. He has his family with him here who are great for him.
“He’s just one of the guys. There’s no issue. People who think that just because of his name and where he’s come from will just leave don’t understand the way he got to where he was is because of his resilience, determination and hard work, and God-given ability he’s been blessed with. He knows how to use that and how to adapt to different environments.”
