An Open Letter to Daniel Sturridge

Dear Daniel,

Thank you.

When you had joined Liverpool, I was a fairly new supporter. In the United States it wasn’t always easy to catch a match on tv so I am a little embarrassed to say I didn’t know who you were until Luis Suárez received his ten match ban. In your game against Fulham when you scored the hat trick, you commanded my attention. Going into the 2013/2014 season, I was cautiously optimistic about where we would finish but I had no idea how transformational and integral you would be to the club.

In the 2013/2014 season, you brought some of the greatest joy I experienced watching this team. Not only was your individual play brilliant, but your link-up play with Suárez, Coutinho, Sterling, and the rest of the team was absolutely awe-inspiring. I started supporting the club from the connection with Fenway Sports Group and living in New England, as well as learning the history of the club. But thanks to you, for the first time, I truly loved waking up at 7:30 on a Saturday or Sunday morning to see the things that you would do. And though that season ended in heartbreak, you allowed me to dream about what the club could become today. Even through your injury spells, you never stopped inspiring. Your hard work to get fit always showed. When you came back, you always brought something to the table. In this last season, I will cherish your goals against PSG and Chelsea forever. You have truly cemented yourself as a Liverpool Legend.

So, I want to thank you for everything. Thank you for your contribution to the team. Thank you for the Sturridge dance that made me insufferable around my friends when playing FIFA. Thank you for the privilege of seeing you play. Though I am sad to see you leave, I am happy that it is with a Champions League medal around your neck. You’ve earned it.

I can’t wait to see what the future holds for you.

You’ll Never Walk Alone.

Sincerely,


Dan Vaughn

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