Milner: Sturridge is even hungrier for success
James Milner has no concerns over any lasting effects of Daniel Sturridge's injury woes, insisting his Liverpool and England teammate looks like he has never been away.
The 26-year-old has scored three goals in eight appearances for the Reds since returning from hip surgery in September and then being forced to overcome two further setbacks with his knee and hamstring.
His form is set to be rewarded with a return to the international stage on Tuesday, as England take on the Netherlands in a friendly clash at Wembley Stadium.
Milner believes the experiences of the last two seasons have only made Sturridge hungrier for success, and he expects the striker to keep up his fine goalscoring record for both club and country going forward.
"When you have been out for such a long time, the one thing you see is how long it takes someone to get back up to speed," the No.7, who will captain the Three Lions against the Dutch, said.
"It might take weeks, it might take months. For him it seems to take a warm-up and then he is straight out there and he is chopping left and right, his touch is there, his ability in front of goal.
"For me, there is no change at all. He's older and the experiences he has gone through with the injuries have probably made him mentally stronger and hungrier because, when you are frustrated and missing games, you want to get out there.
"When you get back, you want to do everything to stay there."