The Football Association has charged Liverpool frontman Daniel Sturridge with misconduct for alleged breaches of its betting regulations at the start of this calendar year. It is understood that the English striker breached one rule which involves giving out information relating to football that has been “obtained by virtue of his position” and “is not publicly available”.
A Liverpool representative has recently revealed that Sturridge is prepared to fully cooperate “throughout this process” and “stated categorically that he has never gambled on football”. He also added, “As with any issue of this nature, we will allow the process to be concluded in its entirety before making any further comment.”
This recent development will come as a shock to everyone associated with the Merseyside club especially after Sturridge’s bright start to this campaign. He has been Jurgen Klopp’s second choice striker behind Roberto Firmino and has already put in a number of excellent performances during the course of this campaign so far.
The 29-year-old scored a memorable equaliser against Chelsea a few weeks ago which gave the Liverpool fans some hope that the English forward would be able to turn his career around at Anfield, especially after being plagued by injuries over the past few years.
However, this betting allegation has now thrown his future with the Reds in doubt once again. If proven guilty, Sturridge could potentially face a long-term ban similar to what Joey Barton received (18 months) when he was charged with serious gambling misconduct last year.
The Englishman’s career at Merseyside could well and truly be over even though the outcome of the verdict has not been reached yet. This serious charge by the FA could taint his reputation in English football for a long time which a club of Liverpool’s stature can’t be a part of.
Hence, Klopp should concentrate on matters on the pitch and deal with Sturridge when the time is right. The Reds just cannot afford more drama in the dressing room especially when the expectations are already higher than ever for a realistic title challenge this season.
