• Premier League

Lampard: Sturridge sale bad business

Daniel Sturridge left Chelsea for Liverpool in January last year © PA Photos

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Frank Lampard believes Chelsea made a huge mistake by letting Daniel Sturridge join Liverpool.

Sturridge made a £12 million switch to Anfield in January 2013 and has been a huge hit for Brendan Rodgers, scoring 21 Premier League goals this season - more than Chelsea strikers Fernando Torres, Samuel Eto'o and Demba Ba combined.

He had grown frustrated at being played out wide on his rare appearances at Chelsea, with Lampard - who left Stamford Bridge this week after 13 years at the club - now labelling it "bad business".

Lampard said: "I'm really pleased for Studge because, at Chelsea, I think he was a bit ­frustrated. He felt he could have played more. He felt the position he was playing in was one he wasn't happy with and he felt it was good for him to move.

"It was maybe not good ­business for Chelsea. It looks bad when you look back, but, at the time, you never know. Individually, for him, it was a good move. He has gone from strength to strength.

"I think he does get the credit he deserves now, but with what Luis Suarez does alongside him at Liverpool, maybe that takes the edge off the praise."

Sturridge is set to lead the line for England at the World Cup, having underlined his credentials with a stunning strike in the 3-0 friendly win over Peru last week.

And Lampard believes Sturridge is the kind of prolific striker that England have long lacked.

"For an English striker scoring as regularly as he has in the Premier League, it has been amazing and he is the sort of striker, the sort of attacking player, we have been crying out for with England," Lampard added.

"He is someone who can make something out of nothing, as he did when he scored against Peru last week, so he has emerged and deserves to be on this stage.

"He has got that little strain in him where he always believes in himself. It's not easy when you're a young boy and you're not playing so much. You can drop your head down.

"But, when he has played, Studge has got that inner-belief and no wonder, because he is one of the sharpest players I have seen off the mark, with his quick feet around the box and he gets his shots away, he is very difficult to defend against. I think he is comfortable at Liverpool.

"At Chelsea and struggling a bit to get in the team and then he goes and he has a lot of belief in him there at Liverpool, you can see Brendan Rodgers really trusts in him, he started scoring and he hasn't stopped."

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