Chelsea Football Club is delighted to confirm that
Daniel Sturridge has agreed to join the club on a four-year
contract.
He will join the first team squad for pre-season training
next week when the players return from their summer
break.
The 19-year-old previously played for Manchester City,
where he first burst onto the first team scene in the 2007/08
season, scoring twice in four days in January for Sven Goran
Eriksson's side, including an important equaliser at Derby County
to earn a point.
Within months he was well known among Chelsea supporters,
scoring City's goal in the first leg of the FA Youth Cup Final, a
1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge.
Absent through injury from the second leg, Daniel saw his
team-mates eventually defeat us 3-1 on the night to take the
trophy.
A nephew of former Derby forward Dean Sturridge, Daniel
arrived at City's Academy in 2003 from Coventry, having previously
trained with Aston Villa.
He graduated to the senior squad at the beginning of the
2006/07 season and after injuries hampered his speedy progress, a
hat-trick in the reserves prompted a debut in February 2007 as a
late substitute.
Last season he was a more regular fixture in and around
Mark Hughes's squad, netting four times in 26 appearances, 10 of
which were starts, and was voted City's Young Player of the
Year.
Daniel has also represented England up to Under 20 level,
where he has played alongside our own Ryan Bertrand, Jack Cork and
Scott Sinclair.
chelseafc.com
