Interviews

Daniel Sturridge first interview

ALAN Pardew's powers of persuasion and the lure of his home city have brought one of England's finest goalscoring talents to The Hawthorns.

Striker Daniel Sturridge this evening signed up for a loan stint from Liverpool until the end of the season, relishing the dual challenge confronting the Baggies over the second half of the season.

With rival interest from home and abroad lining up to make their bid for the England striker, Pardew's pitch helped turn the chance of donning the blue and white stripes into a 'natural fit' for the Birmingham-born striker.

Daniel, who hails from the one the region's most successful football families, revealed: "There were many things in deciding on this move. The manager spoke very well when we talked about the challenge with the team, there was the style of play and this feels like it was the right fit at the right time.

"I've got some friends here who are West Brom fans so I can't let them down as much as the any of the Albion supporters.

"Coming here, I'm back home. When I've played here, it had a home feel for me. I'm seeing faces in the stands that I've known growing up. It's a good feeling for me being here. I want to enjoy myself as much as I can but getting results is our first priority."

He's a man who's made a name for himself by scoring goals. And our new No. 15 certainly wants more of the same in his time at the Baggies.

"God willing I'll be able to help the team win games. That's the most important thing. Whether it's goals, assists, hard work, all of those things.

"It's important for myself and for the team to implement the manager's plans, his tactics, take those on board and learn the way the team plays as quickly as possible."

Daniel wants to enjoy his time at The Hawthorns. It'll be a "great feeling" to have his family close by and to watch him play. But he's under no illusion as to the task facing his new teammates in their battle for Premier League survival.

"It's going to be a great feeling for me to be here, to have my family not so far away that they can come to games and see me play regularly. I want to enjoy myself as much as I can but it's an important time for the Club also. It's not about enjoyment right now, it's about getting results."

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