The striker says a lack of consistent minutes at Chelsea saw him demoralised before being reinvigorated by his switch to Anfield

Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge has revealed that his move to the club has restored his love for football.

The 24-year-old forward has been in outstanding form for Liverpool this season, netting 18 goals in 21 league fixtures in the current campaign as his side have mounted a sustained bid for the title.

But just over one year ago, things were vastly different for a frustrated Sturridge, who was not playing regularly at Chelsea.

“At Chelsea when Andre Villas-Boas was there and I played more – on the right wing mainly – and I was enjoying it. It wasn’t about the position, it was about playing,” he told the Daily Express.

“But then AVB got fired, [Roberto] Di Matteo got the job and I was out of the team again. I felt I couldn’t sit on the bench any longer as I had got used to playing.

“I was enjoying the feeling of putting my kit on and being on the pitch. I lost my love for the game at that point because I was back at square one.

“I wanted to learn from Didier Drogba and Nico Anelka. I thought when Didier moved on, I would be next in line but it wasn’t the case.”

And Sturridge now believes Liverpool can win the Premier League.

“At the beginning of the season the aim was to get into the Champions League,” he continued. “Now we’re getting towards the business end and we’re up there, a lot of peoples’ perception is that maybe we can win the league.

“There are others in a better position than us, it’s going to be very difficult, but we will see what happens. The way the boys are playing and the confidence we have, the camaraderie, is something I have not been part of for a long time.”

The England striker says he was encouraged to move to Anfield by his former team-mate, who is supposed to have said the Merseysiders are ‘the best club I have played for’

Daniel Sturridge says Fernando Torres’ enduring love of Liverpool persuaded him to join the Reds from Chelsea.

The England international joined Brendan Rodgers’ side in January 2013 for around £12 million (€14.3m) and has helped spearhead the club’s title charge this season with 18 league goals.

Sturridge has now revealed that former Anfield favourite Torres played a major role in his decision to leave Chelsea.

“He always spoke very highly about Liverpool,” the 24-year-old told the Daily Mail.

“When we were at Chelsea together he would say, ‘Liverpool are amazing.’ It wasn’t just him – it was Yossi Benayoun as well. They both said, ‘That club is the best I have played for.’

“They said, ‘The fans will make you feel amazing.’ And, at the time, I thought I need a bit of that in my life because I was low right then.

“I need to feel good about myself, so it was an easy decision to come here. My dad, my uncle and I all shared the same opinion: this was the best place to go.

“When Liverpool came in, it was one of those situations that I just wanted to get up the M6 as quickly as possible, sign on the dotted line and get to work.

“I was desperate to get here and show what I could do. I was hungry and I am still hungry. There is so much for us to achieve.”

Sturridge joined Manchester City as a 13-year-old in 2003 but never established himself as a first-team regular, which lead to a move to Chelsea in 2009.

And he insists that all he has ever wanted was the opportunity to play football, rather than collect a big pay packet.

“Maybe because I played for City and Chelsea, people think, ‘Oh he has played for big clubs.’ But I have always chased to play,” he added.

“I want to be successful, I’m a winner and I’ve always wanted to win – but it’s not about sitting on the bench, it’s not about watching from the sidelines and earning money and being content.

“It’s about playing, living your dream, winning medals and leaving the pitch with a smile on your face.

“People think I got loads of money at City and left for Chelsea to chase more money. They said ‘he’s a money grabber’ yet they were the richest club in the world, so how was I chasing the money when I was leaving them?”

There have already been talks with the PFA about amending the terms of the standard contract in a bid to limit the financial burden on clubs that drop out of the top flight

EXCLUSIVE
By Wayne Veysey | Chief Correspondent

New plans could force all Premier League players into an automatic salary cut if their teams are relegated, Goalunderstands.

The Premier League has held talks with the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) to investigate amending the terms of the standard player’s contract, which is signed by every player registered to a top-tier club.

A proposal has been drawn up for a clause to be added to each individual agreement stipulating a mandatory pay cut in the event of relegation. The aim is to limit the financial burden on clubs when they drop into the Championship.

Goal has learned that a meeting took place between the Premier League and the PFA regarding the issue earlier in the year and that further negotiations are planned.

Research has also been carried out by the ruling body into the viability of introducing a rule that has faced opposition in the past from the narrow elite of Champions League calibre clubs.

The proposal would need the support of 14 of the 20 top-flight clubs in a Premier League ballot to be formally introduced.

Sources at the Football Association (FA) have told Goal that the subject of mandatory salary cuts has been on the table for a number of years but has failed to get off the ground due to opposition from the marquee clubs.

Their argument is that such a rule might hinder their ability to recruit the world’s leading players when they are in direct competition with European giants like Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.

However, a number of other Premier League clubs, whose primary ambition at the start of the season is to avoid relegation, are believed to be more receptive to the possibility of a mandatory pay cut.

It is understood that some clubs, with West Brom said to be one, already operate relegation clauses in the contracts of their players.