Daniel's Premier League promise
Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge has confidence that manager Brendan Rodgers' particular brand of football will reap Barclays Premier League rewards in the seasons to come.
The 23-year-old joined the Northern Irishman's project in January and wasted little time in proving his scoring prowess by notching 11 goals in just 16 appearances.
Sturridge's season was marred to a degree by an ankle injury suffered on international duty with England, although the former Chelsea and Manchester City man is expected to return in time for the 2013-14 campaign.
Having now had extended experience of Rodgers' methods at Anfield, the forward feels the club should be capable of challenging for honours in the near future.
"When you play in the Premier League everybody's goal is to lift that trophy, to have the celebrations and to know that you've succeeded and been a champion over everybody else in the division," Sturridge told the official Liverpool FC magazine.
"So the main aim for next season and the seasons ahead is to try to help the team do well in the Premier League. I'm sure with the philosophy the manager takes we'll be able to do that.
"With the philosophy that the manager has, we should be challenging for honours. I think it's going to be great for us in the future and we can move forward.
"I think we've done things this season, both prior to me coming here and then with my help, to deliver some better statistics than we have had in previous years in terms of goals and attacking play.
"It's exciting to be a part of that philosophy and a new regime that the manager's forming for us to move forward as a club.
"It's the reason why the manager signed myself and Philippe as well as the players he signed at the start of the season. The aim was to help the team get back to where it belongs.
"We'll all be doing everything in our power to make sure that Liverpool is a club that is challenging for Premier League titles because the fans have been waiting for that for a long time and hopefully next season we'll be in the running."
[OTPA_WIDGET_CONTENT]
Sturridge found the target in each of his first three games for the Reds following his switch from Stamford Bridge, endearing himself to supporters immediately with his prolific opening.
Despite that, however, the No.15 is more concerned with adopting an altruistic approach when he completes a timely comeback next season.
"It's great to score goals, but the main factor when I joined the club was just to help Liverpool move forward," the striker continued.
"I don't want to put too much pressure on myself to score because that's the kind of person I am, I always put pressure on myself.
"I've stopped doing that so much now and I've just tried to focus on helping the team win games and work as hard as I possibly can on the football field. I know that if I do that all my natural abilities will come out.
"My mentality now is just to work hard and help the team. If I score goals then fantastic, if I get assists fantastic, but the main thing is for the team to get positive results and I think we have come out of the season on something of a high.
"I only joined the club in January so it's been a settling-down period really in terms of moving to a new city and everyone's made me feel so welcome. But I've not been here very long so I'm just getting used to the way of life and playing for Liverpool and the city."
Click here to subscribe to the official Liverpool FC magazine or the Anfield matchday programme.