The 24-year-old’s goals have fired Liverpool to three wins from their first three matches and earned him the Player of the Month award for August. The forward struggled to get in the starting line-up at Manchester City and Chelsea, but his new boss expects him to shine now he is getting game-time.

“You never know how it is going to go but I felt if you gave him an opportunity...I think he has shown in his career if he is given the opportunity he is a natural goalscorer,” said Rodgers.

“At this stage of his career, aged 24, he has all the things to his game to be a top striker.u00a0“Since coming here he has had the confidence he is going to play and we work on him on a daily basis — on and of the field — to make him the best he can be.

Standards are set throughout European football now and if you want to be a top striker you have to get in the goals.” Sturridge missed England’s midweek World Cup qualifier against Ukraine due to a thigh strain, but has been declared fit for tonight’s tie.