Jamie Redknapp believes Daniel Sturridge challenges the world's best strikers when he is on song.

The 27-year-old scored a double as Liverpool progressed to the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup with a 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday night.

It was just the fifth time Sturridge has started for Jurgen Klopp this season, as the German prefers the dynamic and hard-pressing types of Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane, but Redknapp feels the England international has done his chances for the future absolutely no harm with the performance he produced at Anfield.

"When the team was named, he was probably thinking, 'Have I got to play tonight?' There are other players like Roberto Firmino who are ahead of him in the pecking order. But all he can do is do what he's done tonight," Redknapp told Sky Sports.

"Play well, show a great attitude and score goals. He's a special talent. We're talking about one of the best forwards in the world on his day. That's how good he is.

"He needs to do it more often. I love the second goal, and with his pace, he's got to be running in-behind defenders more. The last thing you want as a defender is to be running the other way as Sturridge comes through.

"For the first goal, you can't teach that anticipation. You cannot teach that. Robbie Fowler had it. Ian Rush had it. They just smell it, know something might happen."