It says a lot about where Daniel Sturridge’s career is headed that Jurgen Klopp allowed him to leave Liverpool on loan in January.

Behind Roberto Firmino, Klopp doesn’t have a great stable of strikers. Dominic Solanke and Danny Ings have started just four games between them this season.

Klopp will have been fully aware that Firmino can get injured at any moment and yet he still decided to offload Sturridge to West Bromwich Albion.

The 28-year-old made just five Premier League starts for the Reds this season and had become an afterthought following the success of Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

He now finds himself in a relegation battle with West Brom, who sit bottom of the table following yesterday’s defeat to Southampton.

Despite managing just one shot in 62 minutes on his full debut, Sturridge was lively but the rust that comes with making such few appearances was evident.

Indeed, West Brom boss Alan Pardew admitted that he is “not quite on it at the moment” after the defeat.

Alan Shearer summed up Sturridge's career

Sturridge needs to make the most of his opportunity to receive first-team football as he seeks a place in England’s World Cup squad.

But in the eyes of Alan Shearer, it’s not Sturridge’s talent that has prevented him from truly realising his potential but his mental toughness.

Shearer posed the question that many football fans have been wondering on Match of the Day by asking whether Sturridge has the mental ability to became a truly great striker.

“You don’t play for the big clubs, City, Chelsea, Liverpool, if you haven’t got ability which obviously he has,” Shearer said. “But it’s not just about ability, you need the mental strength and the toughness.

“He’s 28 years of age now; he’s only started 115 Premier League games.

“[West Brom have] taken a gamble by getting him there, paying the wages etc., whether it’s a loan fee or not, but it’s a gamble and if they get him onto the pitch, he’s got ability.”

Sturridge has some talented players around him at The Hawthorns and should be fuelled by a desire to keep West Brom in the Premier League and to make Gareth Southgate’s World Cup squad.

He needs to seize the opportunity with both hands.