Sturridge thanks the boss

Last updated : 24 March 2013 By Adam Bryant

"I'm very grateful to the manager for giving me an opportunity," he told the official site.

"I was at Man City before Chelsea and everything was fine there, in fairness. I didn't have any problems, everything worked out, but I chose to leave because I didn't feel it was the best place for me to further my career.

"I moved on to Chelsea and had success. We won trophies and I have medals but in terms of my own individual ambitions, I didn't get to fulfil them.

"Hopefully here, now I'm at a club that believes in me with a manager who believes in me, I can give the fans something to smile about.

"I thank the manager for giving me the opportunity to get where I am today. My driving force isn't to prove people wrong. I am just trying to fulfil the talent that God gave me.

"I don't feel any pressures about coming here and playing up front because I've been doing that since I was six years old. To me, it's not a pressure."