Liverpool’s Champions League winning midfielder Didi Hamann has weighed in on the Daniel Sturridge debate with some quotes that Reds supporters will no doubt appreciate greatly.
The striker has been ruled out of the upcoming fixtures by Jurgen Klopp, but the reality is that fans don’t really know why or what’s even wrong with the English forward.
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The 26-year-old has four goals this season, but he’s only started four times – a similar record to last season when he was constantly unavailable as well.
Hamann believes that the club now needs to be more upfront and honest with supporters about the situation – which has actually clouded our past 18 months.
“The club has got a responsibility to tell the paying public what is wrong with him,” the German said.
“If he has got a hamstring injury, an ankle injury, or whatever he may have, the people who pay for a season ticket have got a right to know what is wrong with him,” Hamann told Talksport, cited in the Telegraph.
“Judging by the way Jurgen Klopp answered his questions [ahead of the Manchester United game], I don’t think there is too much wrong with the player. If there is nothing wrong with him, it is more important to be honest and truthful with the paying public than to protect a player who has hardly played in the last 18 months, who seems to choose when he wants to play.
“He has got three years left on his contract and I don’t see any reason, if there is nothing wrong with the player, why the club should protect him.
“There was always something wrong with him on the Thursday or the Friday. His back, his hamstring, there was always something,” Hamann said.
“If you look at his record since he has played professional football he probably doesn’t average half the games a season – and it has got worse at Liverpool. I am not saying he is pretending to be injured, I’m not sure. But if he is injured, say it. Nobody knows what is going on with him.
“People have spent £800 or £1000 to watch Liverpool at home and sometimes even away, and the star player is not playing and nobody knows where he is. If there isn’t a problem with him, then it is time to stop protecting the player.”
We entirely back Hamann’s quotes here at EOTK.
Being a Liverpool fan feels like a constant wait for Sturrdge to regain fitness, only to face heartbreak again when he picks up another ambiguous problem that seemingly takes him months to shake off when other players would fight through it.
The striker claimed he was returning on Boxing Day, but almost a month later, we haven’t see him.
Will the club just let us paying supporters know what’s going on?