Daniel Sturridge revels in rise after tough times

London: Daniel Sturridge admitted it was a sweet moment to score England`s winner against Denmark after his troubled road to the top.

Sturridge is finally fulfilling his vast potential after struggling to make an impact earlier in his career and the striker`s late header to see off the Danes in a 1-0 friendly victory at Wembley on Wednesday was the latest sign of his huge improvement since joining Liverpool in January 2013. The 24-year-old has formed a brilliant partnership with Luis Suarez at Anfield, scoring 23 goals for club and country this season, including 12 in his last 12 games. That prolific form has almost certainly guaranteed Sturridge a place in England`s World Cup squad and it would be a surprise if he isn`t in the starting line-up for the first group fixture against Italy. Sturridge`s rise is especially impressive because he suffered so much frustration during his spells at Manchester City and Chelsea. After making some eye-catching appearances as a youngster with City, it appeared Sturridge was destined for immediate stardom. Yet concerns over a lack of maturity saw him squeezed out at Eastlands and he joined Chelsea hopeful of a fresh start in 2009. However, he fared no better at Stamford Bridge and was regarded as a gifted but difficult player in danger of wasting his talent when he was sold to Liverpool after scoring just 13 goals in 63 league appearances for the Blues. "It`s about getting opportunities," Sturridge said. "I`m blessed but I`m not getting carried away. There were some difficult times in the past but I`m just staying humble." While Sturridge`s goals rightly earn him the headlines, it is his growing awareness that the team is more important than his personal success which is especially striking. He was asked to play all across England`s three-man forward line rather than just in his preferred central role and responded to boss Roy Hodgson`s request in diligent fashion on and off the pitch. "Whichever system the manager plays me in, I will put my all into it, 100 per cent," Sturridge said. "It does not matter where I play on the field, it is about making a difference, making an impact and I will just keep trying to get goals and assists from whatever position I am in. "It is about the team, it is not about me, or where I am on the pitch, questioning about what the manager is doing, it is about doing what the manager says and wherever he puts me I will do my best for him."Further evidence of Sturridge`s ascent was one of the more encouraging aspects of England`s spluttering display against a Denmark side that failed to qualify for the World Cup. With time running out before Hodgson names his final squad for Brazil, there were plenty of fringe players hoping to prove their worth on Wednesday and one of the few who seized his chance was Southampton midfielder Adam Lallana. Sent on as a second-half substitute, Lallana erased the memory of two previous disappointing displays for England as he set up Sturridge`s goal with a clever body swerve and perfectly weighted cross. "I`m delighted, most of all because we had two defeats, against Chile and Germany, so it was great to be involved in a winning England display," Lallana said. "I just gave my best and that`s all you can do, as everyone else does. "We know it`s the last time that we meet up before he names his 30-man squad at the end of the season." Asked if he felt had done enough to go to the World Cup, Lallana added: "Nothing`s guaranteed. It`s been proven over the last couple of years that`s the case. "If anything, I`ve got to work even harder now and we`ll see what happens at the end of the season."