Chelsea Signs Daniel Sturridge

Source: Skysports

Sturridge began his career at Aston Villa before moving to Coventry City in 2002, from where he joined Manchester City's Academy in 2003, aged 13. A Football League committee later ordered Manchester City to pay Coventry £30,000 compensation, with further payments up to a maximum of £200,000 based upon appearances and international honours. The following year, he was the leading scorer and voted Most Valuable Player (the only other person to achieve this was Argentine footballer Carlos Tévez) as Manchester City won the Nike Cup, the world's largest under-15 tournament. At 16, he played for Manchester City Youth during their 2006 FA Youth Cup run. The youngest player in the side, he scored four goals en route to the final, and another two in the final, though they were insufficient to prevent a 3–2 aggregate defeat to Liverpool. That summer, he signed his first professional contract, which came into effect when he turned 17.

From the start of the 2006–07 season, Sturridge began to train with the Manchester City first team. A hat-trick in a reserve match was rewarded by a place on the substitutes' bench for the senior side's match with Reading in February 2007. He duly made his debut from the bench, replacing Georgios Samaras for the final quarter-hour. He made a second substitute appearance a month later, but then suffered a hip injury which sidelined him for the remainder of 2007.

He scored his first goal for Manchester City on 27 January 2008 in an FA Cup match against Sheffield United, followed three days later by his first league goal on his full debut, against Derby County. However, first team opportunities were sporadic, so Sturridge continued to play for the youth team in the FA Youth Cup. Manchester City again reached the final, with Sturridge the leading scorer in the competition. This time City won the final, Sturridge scoring in the first leg. In the 2007–08 season, Sturridge became the only player ever to score in the Youth FA Cup, the FA Cup and the Premier League in the same season.

As of 1 May 2009, after 16 appearances in the 2008–09 Premier League season, Sturridge had scored four goals and provided three assists. At the end of the 2008–09 season, the Manchester City fans voted Sturridge as the Manchester City Young Player of the Season.

With Sturridge's contract at Manchester City expired, he signed for Chelsea on the 3 July 2009. As Sturridge is under the age of 24, and the two sides were unable to agree a deal, the fee for Sturridge will be decided by a tribunal. Sturridge has signed a four year contract with Chelsea.