'We have the players to produce goals'

The No.15 immediately picked up where he left off on Sunday, converting the winner against Southampton to update his Reds tally to 36 strikes in 50 appearances.

As a unit, Brendan Rodgers' team concluded 2013-14 by scoring enough to break the century mark in the Barclays Premier League en route to finishing second in the table.

Although Luis Suarez has since departed, Sturridge is confident that a forward force including Raheem Sterling, also on target yesterday, and a number of new recruits can notch the necessary amount.

"Of course there's pressure on me to get the goals now," the England international told Sky Sports. "It's important for me and the other lads to step up.

"It's important, as a collective unit, that we all provide the goals. As long as we score goals and defend well, we'll get the results we need.

"Raheem showed his cool head to finish today and he showed it throughout pre-season as well. I'm glad that he has continued the goalscoring into the season. As the manager says, he's improving all the time.

"We have shown today that we can win games, we can score goals and we defended well - we were just unlucky to concede a goal. With players that are producing the goods, we'll be OK this season."

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Sterling had earned Liverpool a lead over the Saints at Anfield, side-footing home after Jordan Henderson's sublime pass, but Nathaniel Clyne responded for the visitors.

It was therefore pivotal that Sturridge was positioned perfectly to redirect beyond Fraser Forster with 11 minutes remaining and secure a positive start to the new campaign.

"They made us work very hard, first games are always difficult," added the 24-year-old. "The pace of the game was high; we worked hard and probed for a while.

"When they got the goal, it was difficult for us. But in the end we ground out the result and that's what matters most."