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Daniel Sturridge has dropped his level since Luis Suarez left Liverpool, says Jamie Carragher

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Daniel Sturridge is not the same player he was when playing alongside Luis Suarez at Liverpool, according to Jamie Carragher.

Daniel Sturridge is not the same player he was when playing alongside Luis Suarez at Liverpool, according to Jamie Carragher.

Sturridge has started only 27 Premier League games out of a possible 120 (23%) in the last three years at Liverpool.

Under Brendan Rodgers during the 2013/14 season, Sturridge scored 24 goals in all competitions, which was the best scoring season of his career.

Sturridge started Sunday's 1-1 draw at Newcastle as Liverpool continued their poor run of form - they have now only won one of their last seven matches.

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The England striker - who has been named in Gareth Southgate's squad for the incoming World Cup Qualifiers - has only scored three goals this calendar year, and Carragher is worried about his development.

Carragher said: "Because he doesn't play much now, whenever we talk about Sturridge we keep going back to that season when Liverpool nearly won the league - he was devastating with Luis Suarez.

"I don't think that player is there now, whether that's due to injuries or not playing enough. The reason he played today is because Roberto Firmino is not playing well. If Firmino is playing his normal level, then Sturridge doesn't play. Klopp doesn't fancy Sturridge, that's why he doesn't play."

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Sturridge was given a rare start by Klopp, who decided to start the England man over Roberto Firmino.

Graeme Souness was disappointed with his performance.

"He didn't take it [his chance]," Souness said.

"There was no cuteness in his game that you normally associate with him. I thought he looked laboured, he looked off the pace and I don't think he can train and prepare properly. That's maybe the single biggest reason why he keeps getting injury after injury.

"Today he looked like a player that hadn't trained properly and prepared for his opportunity. It might be a month or another six weeks before Jurgen Klopp goes with him again. I thought he was so disappointing today. If everything is right with Sturridge, he is one of the first names on the team-sheet but looking at him today, he was miles away."

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