Sturridge made 160 appearances for Liverpool,scoring 67 goals,including his best Premier League season in 2013-14 when he scored 21 goals in 29 appearances for the Reds – his scoring threat overshadowed somewhat by strike partner Luis Suarez,who finished the season with 31. Sturridge subsequently spent several seasons on loan away from Liverpool before permanently moving to Turkish club Trabzonspor in 2019. The striker was without a club last season but agreed to return to the field with Perth for the start of the upcoming season.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity to try a new challenge,” he said. “When the opportunity came about,it felt like the right thing to do,to take my talent somewhere where I can enjoy my football in a competitive league and try and help the team be as successful as they possibly can be.”