Liverpool and England striker is a brilliant footballer but also an individualist who undermines himself with his apparent refusal to accept football is a team game
Watching Daniel Sturridge perform his critically panned one-man show against Slovenia on Tuesday, it was impossible not to picture his increasingly exasperated England team-mates as Alan Partridge in the car park. Dan! Dan! Dan! Over here! Look! I’m unmarked! Dan! Give me the ball! Dan! Don’t shoot! Dan! Stop trying to dribble past four defenders! Pass it! Pass it here! I’m in a much better position than you! Dan! Dan?
Maybe Sturridge had a point, his selfishness a way of passing comment on his fellow attackers. Dele Alli managed one neat nutmeg but little of any significance. Jesse Lingard, ever the polite guest, endeared himself to the locals by giving Jan Oblak some catching practice with his crosses. It was Theo Walcott who was unable to find his way back to the pitch after one impressively pacy run down a dead-end too many. Andros Townsend came on and had a slightly dangerous shot from long range before disappearing from view and there was an encouraging cameo from promising young whippersnapper Wayne Rooney, who looked like one for the future.
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