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Steve McManaman Exclusive: Sturridge will prove Klopp wrong against Villarreal

Steve McManaman has backed Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge to prove his manager Jurgen Klopp wrong by firing the Reds through to the Europa League final at Anfield on tonight.

Steve McManaman Exclusive: Sturridge will prove Klopp wrong against Villarreal

A 1-0 defeat at Estadio El Madrigal gives Villarreal a slender advantage heading into the second leg at Anfield, with former Anfield hero McManaman convinced Klopp will throw his support behind Sturridge to fire Liverpool to glory.

Liverpool’s highest paid player was a surprise omission from their line-up for the first leg of the Europa League semi-final against Villarreal last week, with the England marksman later admitting he was frustrated by the decision to leave him on the bench for the first leg in Spain.

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Yet McManaman has no doubt that Klopp will start with Sturridge in his line-up at Anfield, as his side go for goals in their push to overcome the final hurdle in their push to seal a spot in the Europa League final.

“It is pretty clear that Klopp is not entirely convinced by Sturridge for whatever reason, but he has to pick him for this game,” BT Sport pundit McManaman told Yahoo Sport in an exclusive interview.

“Klopp has not selected Daniel for some of the big games recently and that must have hurt him. He has been the main man at Liverpool when he has been fit for the last couple of seasons, but that has all changed now.

"Divock Origi was picked for some of the big Europa League games and that was a snub to Sturridge, without a doubt. He might not have dealt with that too well, but he has to have his head right for this game.

“We know his record is fantastic. You look at his goals to game ratio and it is as good as any Liverpool player who has ever played for the club, but Klopp demands a lot from his players and Sturridge needs to deliver in all areas.

“Clearly Daniel needs to have a work rate to go with his talent. That is what Klopp demands from his players and maybe that is what he has not seen enough of from Sturridge.

“His injury issues have been a problem in the last couple of years and maybe that has affected Klopp’s judgement of him a little, but Sturridge is good enough to get the goals that fire Liverpool to a trophy. 

“If he does that, there will be no doubt that he deserves to be the No.1 striker at Liverpool going into next season.”

Brendan Rodgers says Jurgen Klopp, who replaced him at Liverpool, is managing Daniel Sturridge's injuries well.
Brendan Rodgers says Jurgen Klopp, who replaced him at Liverpool, is managing Daniel Sturridge's injuries well.


McManaman has also joined the chorus of plaudits flowing in the direction of Leicester City following their historic Premier League title triumph, but he suggested Claudio Ranieri’s men have been given a huge push over the finishing line by a lamentable chasing pack.

“I think the Leicester story is wonderful for football, of course it is, even if the rest of the Premier League teams have been pretty rubbish this season,” adds McManaman.

“Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal have all been well below where they should be when you look at the quality of the players in their squad and the same goes for Liverpool in many ways, but they have had the issue of a change of manager early on in the season.

“I actually feel a little sorry for Tottenham because for me, they have the best team in the Premier League this season in terms of the quality of the football they have produced.

“Spurs have some top players and an excellent manager, but they have come up short against a story that has just been incredible at Leicester. All the credit goes to Ranieri and his players. It is just amazing what they have achieved.”

Watch Liverpool v Villarreal in the UEFA Europa League semi-final exclusively live on BT Sport Europe from 7:15pm GMT on Thursday.