Daniel Sturridge has outlined how difficult it was to break into the Liverpool front three during the infancy of the Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino era.
The Reds’ scintillating forward line helped lift the club’s sixth European Cup and later ended a 30-year wait for a league title, with the famous three recording 427 goals between them across their Anfield careers.
Salah remains at the club and will no doubt add countless more to his tally before his race is run, but his partnership with Mane and Firmino will go down in Liverpool folklore.
Sturridge ended his six-and-a-half-year stay in 2019 when the ‘original’ front three were beginning to catch fire, and has revealed how the “chemistry” between them made it almost impossible to break them apart.
“This is probably the best trio in regards to the understanding of each other,” said Sturridge on Sky Sports Monday Night Football.
"This is probably the best trio in regards to understanding of each other"@DanielSturridge on Salah, Mane and Firmino ?? pic.twitter.com/EXo2dh8UFK
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 6, 2023
“You see Salah now still putting up the numbers, but I think they all had that camaraderie where they knew where each other would be, that chemistry was there.
“I was on the bench. Of course, I wanted to play, but I knew these guys had a vibe going. Sometimes with something special, you have to let it rock.”
That front three notched a combined total of 69 goals in all competitions during Sturridge’s last season at the club in 2018/19, adding a further 57 when the Reds cruised to the league title in the following campaign.
Firmino quickly became an integral part of the well-oiled machine that saw Liverpool lift every possible trophy available to him, meaning the former No. 15 became restricted to minutes off the bench.
Sturridge added that Firmino was “perfect” for the false nine role in Jurgen Klopp‘s side and that his ability to counter-press made him a tough player to displace.
“The counter-press was what Jurgen wanted us to do,” he continued.
“I knew that, when it comes to counter-pressing, I was more of a dribbler and those types of things. Bobby was perfect for that role, I’m transparent in knowing that.”
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