Current club: Liverpool
Birmingham-born Sturridge is a technically gifted striker who was developed by Coventry City and Manchester City before Chelsea signed him in July 2009.
He became the first player to score in the Premier League, The FA Cup and The FA Youth Cup in the same season in 2007-08 and made a significant contribution for City in the Premier League in 2008-09, netting four times in 16 appearances while still a teenager.
He made his Premier League debut for Chelsea as a substitute against Sunderland in August 2009 and came into his own after Christmas, starting against Birmingham City and grabbing a brace in The FA Cup Third Round tie with Watford.
Sturridge won his first England cap for the U16s in 2004 and was a regular scorer at all age levels before making his Under-21 bow in the Holland friendly on 11 August 2009.
In January 2011 he moved to Bolton Wanderers on loan from Chelsea, before starring for England in the UEFA European Under-21 Championship in Denmark.
He returned to Stamford Bridge for the start of the 2010-11 season and put in some impressive displays for the Blues which caught the eye of Fabio Capello, who duly called Sturridge up to the Senior squad for the first time for the double-header with Spain and Sweden.
In 2012, Sturridge was part of Pearce's Team GB squad in the London 2012 Olympic Games before making a switch north to Liverpool in the January transfer window of 2013.