Daniel Sturridge: There are no egos in England camp… I want to be part of bid for Euro glory
Reds striker criticised after being spotted on phone during Euro 2016 warm-up game - but he had good reason
DANIEL STURRIDGE wants to put a few people in the picture.
He knows the photograph of him texting away during England’s 2-1 win over Australia at the Stadium of Light did not look good.
But it coincided with the first annual charity Sturridge Ball in Birmingham.
The striker said: “We can’t win this thing if there are egos or problems in the camp.
“My family had put the event on and they were texting me the whole night.
“I wasn’t sat on the bench, I was behind the bench. I was watching the game.
“It’s important to watch my team-mates play but if I receive a text message about my charity event, I’m going to reply to it.
“That’s important to me, just as much as it is here. I’m trying to do something positive for my community in Birmingham as well as in Jamaica.
“I want my team-mates to do well and there was no disrespect. The manager came to me and said he had no problem because I was sat behind the bench, not on the bench with the team.”
He deserves the benefit of the doubt.
Sturridge was nursing a calf injury at the time, ruled out of England’s second warm-up game against the Aussies because of another niggle.
Marcus Rashford had scored within three minutes of his debut and for a few days Sturridge was left to stew before Hodgson named his 23.
He was brooding behind the bench but insists he is mature and professional enough to deal with almost any situation.
Sturridge added: “If I hadn’t made the squad I would have wished the boys the best of luck.
“I played in the Europa League final and I had some tension in my calf. It wasn’t necessarily like I had torn any muscles.
“It was going to be gone five to six days after I arrived. I trained on the Monday and thought it would have eased off.
“It didn’t ease off, so they said to rest it. The doctors told me to rest it until the Monday and I would be fine.
“I have total belief in myself but if the manager picks somebody else that is no problem to me because it is a team game.”
The serious business has started out here and Sturridge is in the squad to bring goals to this England side.
He has done it before, notably scoring the equaliser against Italy in the opening group game of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
The Liverpool man’s last goal of the season, a beauty with the outside of his left boot in the Europa League final against Sevilla, underlined his class.
After England’s front three — Wayne Rooney, Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy — failed to make an impact against Portugal last Thursday, Sturridge could start against Russia on Saturday.
He added: “I am not here for a holiday. When you go into a tournament like this, of course you want to play. Nobody wants to sit on the bench.
“It’s down to the manager to choose his team and I have to understand that.
“If he chooses somebody else, that’s his decision. But I’m working tirelessly on the training pitch to ensure I’m in the team.
“It’s not about competition. Once we are here, we are a team. If I’m in the side, if Wazza, Rashford, Vardy or Kane are in the side, we are going to do everything we can to help the other two guys score goals.
“That’s what it is about, we are here to win as a team.
“If we’re not here as a nation and as a team together, we won’t win it.”
He added: “I look at other countries in many competitions and when they score, everyone is off the bench and they are all involved, all jumping on each other celebrating — and that’s how we have to be. We have to be a team.
“If we don’t go into this tournament as a team and be a family . . . we’re the only people we’ve got out here.
“We don’t have our mums, dads, kids and all those things here. So we’re our family and must be together.”
That message is being rammed home during team meetings as the players attempt to put a smile back on the faces of England fans.
The team came home early from Brazil, kicked out of the 2014 World Cup after losing their opening two group games.
And Sturridge knows they must put on a better show at Euro 2016.
He added: “We understand the weight when you wear the Three Lions. It’s not a burden but there is a lot expected, so we go out there with the mentality to give them something to celebrate.
“We’re a proud nation, we’re people who are used to being successful.”
When Sturridge talks like that, he presents a far better image.