Sturridge gives Coyle true value for money

AWAY from Stamford Bridge and Anfield, it is becoming clearer and clearer who were the real winners in Fernando Torres’ £50million move to Chelsea.

With three goals in his three appearances, Daniel Sturridge is finally showing what people have been talking about since before he was even in his teens.

What Everton would do for such a bundle of class and enthusiasm and the former Manchester City striker, 21, has brought a freshness to Bolton that looks likely to keep their season on track after fears they were heading for the mediocrity of the bottom half.

Owen Coyle pulled off a similar trick by signing Jack Wilshere for the second half of last season and expects Sturridge to use his time at Bolton to follow the Arsenal midfielder into the England team.

Sturridge’s attitude has been questioned for as long as people have been talking about his potential but there is only evidence of the latter so far in his time at Bolton.

After Gary Cahill opened the scoring, he produced a natural finish with his only clear chance of the afternoon and then almost set up the second-best goal of the weekend, back-heeling for Stuart Holden to finish, only for the officials to claim the ball had gone out for a goal kick.

Sturridge’s arrival has seen Johan Elmander pushed out on the right and it was perhaps no surprise to see the two bickering throughout the match.

But other than that, Sturridge, who is adamant he will return to Chelsea to challenge for a first-team place in the summer, must only be thinking positive thoughts after another fine performance.

“I’m delighted to be playing first-team football and I am looking forward to my next game,” Sturridge said.

“The manager has installed a lot of confidence in me and told me to go out and enjoy my football. He has told me to go out there and dribble and show everyone what I am about.

“He has given me licence to show what I can do when I play regularly and hopefully I will be playing next week.

“Jack Wilshere is a different class of footballer. I spoke to him about playing here and he was here today and that shows he has a lot of affection for this club.”

Sturridge’s statistics tell the tale of a modern English footballer, good enough to be wanted by the best clubs in the country but not quite a Wayne Rooney yet.

Yesterday was just his 10th Premier League start, including two in a season and a half for Chelsea, and having scored three goals in his short time at Bolton, it is interesting to note that it took him 31 league appearances to score his previous three.

“The belief that I had in him as a player was the same as Jack Wilshere,” Coyle said.

“Of the terrific young players out there most of them will be at the elite clubs but there’s no shame in not being in the Arsenal starting XI or the Chelsea starting XI.

“If there are players at those clubs that could benefit us, I’ll do everything in my power to bring them here. It’s always nice when that comes to fruition and they show their quality.”

Nice indeed. And it would be no shock to see Sturridge alongside his temporary team-mate Cahill in the England side in years to come.

A feature of Cahill’s game has been his attacking quality so it was a surprise that when he headed in from Holden’s free-kick yesterday it was his first goal in 13 months — since Coyle’s second game in charge.

Everton’s response was minimal, with Tim Cahill wasting their only real opportunity that was created by a wonderful cross from Leighton Baines.

But midway through the second half, Cahill got on the end of a ball pumped into the Everton area and Chung-Yong Lee touched across for Sturridge to fire into the corner.

Although David Moyes claimed it was the worst performance in his nine years in charge at Goodison Park, he seemed exasperated rather than furious.

“This performance was as bad as I can remember since I’ve been in charge,” Moyes said. “The sort of toughness we have, which was required, just wasn’t there.

“Maybe I have just gone a bit soft on them and maybe need to toughen up a bit more.

“I have thought we were in a relegation battle since the third week of the season but I think we can get out of it with the players we have got, but we need to play better than this.”