Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge wants to be starting games rather than being branded a super-sub. The 21-year-old Blues forward has found himself a bench warmer with the West Londoners since his move from Manchester City last year, although he is beginning to feature more heavily in Carlo Ancelotti's plans.
Sturridge has made seven Premier League appearances for Chelsea this term but they have all come from the bench, and he admits he needs to be starting more games.
"I'm at the age when I want to be starting. I'm not saying the manager needs to oust other players to get me in but I need to be playing more often," he said in the Daily Mail.
"It's important at a young age to be playing regularly because that's how you learn to play the game.
"When you're coming off the bench it's difficult to get into the pace of the game and do well. I don't want to be branded a super-sub. I'd rather be branded a super-starter.
"It's quite frustrating but you have to find a way of dealing with that because you're not going to get everything your own way. The opportunities will come.
"Look at Gareth Bale. He's doing amazingly but it wasn't so long ago people were talking about how he hadn't won a game. That's from the confidence of playing regularly."
