DANIEL STURRIDGE MARKED his long-awaited return from injury with a goal as the Liverpool striker came off the bench to score against West Ham in a 2-0 win.
Sturridge had been named among Liverpool’s substitutes for the Premier League match at Anfield after spending nearly five months out of action with a series of injuries.
He had been sidelined with thigh and calf injuries since September, but Reds boss Brendan Rodgers decided he was finally fit enough to return against the Hammers at Anfield after a 153-day absence and he eventually came on as a 67th minute replacement for Lazar Markovic.
Just 13 minutes later, Sturridge was on the scoresheet for the first time since the opening day of the season when he collected Philippe Coutinho’s pass and slotted home to put his side 2-0 ahead.
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The 25-year-old hadn’t played since injuring his thigh on international duty with England, having sustained a calf problem and a further thigh injury during the rehabilitation process.
The mood was positive around Anfield prior to the fixture due to Sturridge being named on the bench and Raheem Sterling added to the feel-good factor by helping maintain Liverpool’s mid-season revival with a smart finish following a clever pass from Philippe Coutinho.
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Chances continued to prove few and far between, but Sturridge’s return for the final 22 minutes gave Liverpool added impetus.
The England international then finished from close range to put the game to bed and extend Liverpool’s unbeaten run in the league to seven matches as the hosts leapfrogged Sam Allardyce’s side into seventh.