'Fowler taught me to improvise'

The two men crossed paths at Manchester City, where Fowler spent three years before an emotional second spell at Anfield and Sturridge broke onto the first-team scene in the Barclays Premier League.

Brief though their time together was, a lasting impression was left on the 23-year-old.

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"I was fortunate to train with Robbie Fowler during my time at Manchester City," Sturridge recalls in the latest issue of the official Liverpool FC magazine.

"He could score with any part of his body. With both feet he was really clinical and despite not being the tallest he was very dangerous in the air. It taught me to improvise.

"I know a lot of players at an early age move positions and eventually settle somewhere, but my role models were always strikers.

"I watched Ian Wright, Nicolas Anelka and Dennis Bergkamp. I also liked Faustino Asprilla. Whenever I scored I always did his celebration - the forward cartwheel.

"The buzz I got from scoring as a kid is exactly the same as it is now. It's that anticipation of knowing where the ball is going to land in front of you and the release of emotion when it ends up in the net.

"The pleasure is greater now because of the noise of the crowd when it happens. You also feel the disappointment when it doesn't go in. But then you go again and make sure you don't miss next time."

Sturridge joined the Reds at the beginning of last month and has quickly ingratiated himself with teammates and supporters alike by smashing four goals in six appearances.

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The forward's maiden experience of the Liverpool way came much earlier, however - as an 11-year-old during a youth fixture for Aston Villa, in fact.

He continued: "I remember looking at the Academy and thinking: what a place this is.

"It'd only been open a few months and everything was of a really high standard. It was a professional set-up. The facilities at Villa were good but Liverpool was on another level.

"There were lots of reasons to come here. There's the history of the club, the atmosphere inside Anfield during those big games and the chance to play with and learn from players like Steven Gerrard, Luis Suarez and Jamie Carragher.

"But the biggest reason was the manager. I've got a lot of respect for him. He's the only person that's paid money for me and said 'Daniel, I believe in you'. The only way I can repay him is by scoring lots of goals."

For all his desire to find the back of the net, though, Sturridge explained that the team's result is always his overriding concern.

"After we beat Mansfield on my debut I felt great. Then a week later after Man United I was at rock-bottom. I've not felt like that for a long time," the England international added.

"When you don't play, a loss doesn't affect you as much because your body isn't filled with adrenalin and emotion. After United I felt like I'd let everyone down.

"I've grown to handle it but I hate losing. When I was younger I'd cry and get angry. The same emotions are there but I manage to keep them inside.

"Losing is the worst feeling. It doesn't matter if I score five goals - if we lose 6-5, the goals don't matter."

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