Former Chelsea forward Daniel Sturridge has named his ultimate XI team selection, picking 11 of his most admired teammates/opponents during his career.
Sturridge, now at Liverpool, would have been forgiven for selecting several Red’s stars in his line-up. But instead, the striker opted for 5 current/former Chelsea players.
The hitman opted for a 4-2-4 formation when picking his team for the Liverpool Echo, and some of his selections came as a surprise.
His No.1 came as little surprise though, with Chelsea legend Petr Cech, now at Arsenal, his goalkeeping choice.
His full-backs were also Chelsea legends, with Ashley Cole and John Terry occupying the left and right back spots respectively. Terry is a player that would walk into most people’s ultimate XI, but Sturridge admitted that Cole is “for me he’s the best left back of all time.” The final two defenders in his XI were Thiago Silva and Vincent Kompany, with the pair in the centre of defence.
In midfield, Sturridge picked Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard alongside Andrea Pirlo.
“Stevie is a striker’s dream,” said Sturridge. “He’s someone who could pick a pass out from 40/50 yards, onto your toe without you needing to break your stride.”
As for the front four, the England striker went for Cristiano Ronaldo on the left – “even though he’s an ex-United player”, and Lionel Messi on the right.
“They’re outrageous, the pair of them,” he said of the duo.
Ex-Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal striker Nicolas Anelka was the first striker to be named up front.
“Growing up I was an Arsenal fan, and Anelka was my favourite striker,” Sturridge revealed of his choice. “I have an affinity with him, and when I played with him (at Chelsea) he helped me out a lot and give me a lot of advice.”
His final pick up front was another ex-Blue, with Sturridge going for Didier Drogba.
“He was ridiculous, I can’t lie,” he said. “As target men go, he was unstoppable. You can’t look past the man who delivered on the biggest stage possible.”
Sturridge’s Ultimate XI
Petr Cech
John Terry, Vincent Kompany, Thiago Silva, Ashley Cole
Steven Gerrard, Andrea Pirlo
Cristiano Ronaldo, Nicolas Anelka, Didier Drogba, Lionel Messi