Sunday 1 May 2016 15:27, UK
Daniel Sturridge has hit back at those who have questioned his commitment to Liverpool and football itself after an injury-plagued season.
The England striker has suffered a difficult campaign, with several aborted comebacks finally put behind him in recent weeks as he has returned to full fitness.
The 26-year-old has been in good form when he has played, scoring 11 goals in 21 appearances this season, although he has warned Jurgen Klopp he wants to start regularly again having been named in the first XI in just three of the last seven games.
Sturridge is also targeting a place in Roy Hodgson's starting XI at Euro 2016 and told the Daily Mail that accusations that he does not want to be fit are "disrespectful".
"I don't pay any attention to it whatsoever," he said. "The majority, probably 95 per cent of the people who talk and say things about me, don't actually know me.
"Even some of the people who've played with me don't actually know me. Because they're a team-mate, doesn't necessarily mean we're friends or we talk outside of work. But anybody who knows me will know that I'm one of the most ambitious people out there.
"And for people to say, 'Oh he don't try enough or he doesn't want to be fit'... do you honestly believe I'd want to just be sat down picking up wages when I've dreamt of being a professional footballer ever since I can remember?
"I don't think I'd want to be here now, just to be sitting in my apartment, twiddling my thumbs every day - because pretty much that's what I do.
"I can't go out, really. I'm not here having fun with all my mates. I live alone. My family's close but all my friends live down south. I'm here to work. I'm not here to have fun.
"I'm not here for a jolly-up. Liverpool, for me, is work. It's a job. It's something I take seriously and for anyone to question my integrity, it's disrespectful."
