Sturridge: What I've learned from Inzaghi
Daniel Sturridge has revealed he's been studying tapes of some of football's finest finishers - but admits one forward in particular has fired his imagination more than the rest.
Filippo Inzaghi, the man who netted hundreds of goals throughout a career that spanned from 1991 to 2012, has inspired Sturridge to add a fresh but crucial dimension to his game.
"I used to like to come short and play passes and be more involved in the match," Sturridge told BT Sport. "But as time goes on you realise playing on the shoulder does create opportunities, not just for yourself but for your teammates too."
Carlo Ancelotti, during his time as Chelsea manager, steered Sturridge in the direction of the elusive Inzaghi, a player who had the knack of finding that yard of space and arriving when it mattered.
Liverpool fans learned that the hard way on the night both Ancelotti, as AC Milan boss, and Inzaghi, who bagged a brace, conspired to deny the Reds a sixth European Cup triumph in the 2007 Athens final.
Two years on and Ancelotti arrived in England to take control at Stamford Bridge - and it was there that the Italian encouraged Sturridge to take note of how his compatriot Inzaghi manoeuvred around the field.
"I remember when I was at Chelsea and Ancelotti used to say 'watch a DVD of Inzaghi' - movement in terms of runs in behind and what makes strikers score goals," said the Reds' No.15.
"Inzaghi was one that I really liked to watch, because he was completely different to how I played, but he gave me something I didn't have and actually helped me out a lot. Probably a lot of the goals I score now have come from him."
Sturridge was in conversation with Michael Owen as part of his role as a BT Sport ambassador - and the 25-year-old admitted to having picked up a few tricks from his interviewer.
"I still watch [other players]," said Sturridge. "I've got DVDs of Ronaldo, of [Thierry] Henry, of Michael Owen, [Robbie] Fowler, [Dennis] Bergkamp. The list goes on. I still watch clips. So many different players, I still watch the clips, still watch the moves."