Former Liverpool defender Conor Masterson has hailed Daniel Sturridge as being on “another level” during his Anfield pomp and declares it was “a joke” how the striker was able to dominate opponents.
Sturridge, 31, was released by the Reds after the 2019 Champions League triumph and is currently without a club after having his contract at Turkish side Trabzonspor cut short in March this year ahead of being handed a four-month worldwide playing ban for breaching betting rules.
However, he was a prolific marksman during his early days with Liverpool before injury problems started to bite and he netted 24 goals in all competitions in the 2013/14 season.
Masterson, 22, now with Championship side Queens Park Rangers, never made a senior appearance for the Reds despite being an unused substitute for their 3-0 Champions League victory over Manchester City and a 0-0 Merseyside Derby draw with Everton at Goodison Park in back-to-back fixtures in April 2018.
However, earlier on in his time with the club, the Irish centre-back was promoted to first team training under Brendan Rodgers while still a teenager and got to see what the team’s stars were capable of doing up close.
Masterson was taken by the ability of one player in particular and told Goal : “Daniel Sturridge, man!
“He was just a joke. He ripped everyone apart.
“[Philippe] Coutinho was good, but Sturridge was on another level. He was so sharp, he had pace, he could finish, he had skill, he could do everything. He stood out a mile to me.”
In total, Masterson, who has now made 15 appearances for his west London club, was included in three Liverpool matchday squads without getting on.
The man from Celbridge in County Kildare holds no regrets about his time on Merseyside and admits that after Jurgen Klopp’s appointment, standards increased that meant potential opportunities for game time for him also narrowed.
Masterson said: “I only have fond memories of my time there.
“Maybe if I hadn’t got an injury at the wrong time, things might have been different, but you can’t think like that.
“I was meant to go to America with the first team for pre-season [in 2018], but I did my knee and needed an operation. It wasn’t meant to be. You move on. No regrets.
“I wanted to play first-team football. I needed to kick on and play men’s football.
“It’s intense, but I’ve really enjoyed it. It’s more physical, and more demanding, but that’s what I wanted. I want two or three games a week, I want to play every game I can, so that’s no issue.”
