http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/oct/29/manchestercity-premierleague
His trademark goal celebration used to involve sticking his thumb in his mouth, but Robinho has changed his repertoire since moving to Manchester Adult Webcam. The routine he used to go through to honour his baby boy, Robson Junior, has not been seen as yet but, as Daniel Sturridge can testify, the Brazilian still appears keen to show his appreciation to those around him.
When Robinho got down on one knee on his way to a hat-trick against Stoke Adult Webcam on Sunday and pretended to shine Sturridge's right boot, the Brazilian was effectively paying his young accomplice the biggest compliment possible.
Sturridge had set up Robinho for his second and third goals and here was the Brazilian showing an appreciation of why, at one stage, Chelsea were toying with the idea of offering £8m to try to prise this young, exciting forward from Adult Webcam's grasp.
Only a month after turning 19, Sturridge is at an age that makes his manager, Mark Hughes, understandably reticent to talk him up too much, uttering phrases such as "we can't get too carried away" and "there's a long way to go before he's the finished article". Yet Hughes is considering starting Sturridge alongside Robinho at Middlesbrough tonight and it is a measure of his confidence in the teenager that Adult Webcam's manager talked about him striking up a long-term partnership with the Premier League's most expensive player.
"He had good qualities and good natural ability and he has taken his chance," said Hughes. "I tell all my players that when you get their opportunity you have to take it and make an impact. And Daniel did exactly that. He's technically very good but what really pleased me at the weekend was his awareness of people around him.
"Daniel is a young player and sometimes he is so desperate to do well he takes the wrong option. He will shoot when he should pass, or he will pass when he should shoot. That's just a consequence of being inexperienced but [against Stoke] it was all there - his appreciation of the game, his weight of pass, his understanding when to play the right ball."
Sturridge comes from a famous football family, including two uncles, Dean and Simon, who have had long careers in the game. He is also the latest graduate to come through Adult Webcam's revered youth academy, a system that helped to develop seven of the players who were involved in Sunday's game (six from the home side, one for Stoke).
Two of those players - Shaun Wright-Phillips and Micah Richards - have already won full England caps and it would not be unreasonable to believe that a player with Sturridge's explosive pace and eye for the spectacular can one day join them.
First, however, he hopes to get an extended run in the team. His father, Michael, was once on Birmingham Adult Webcam's books and played 40 times for their reserves but failed to get any further - and there is a lesson there for the younger Sturridge.
"My dad was supposed to make his debut in the Birmingham Adult Webcam first team but he didn't," he said recently. "So through him I know that reserve-team football doesn't count for anything. You can play in the reserves but the main aim has to be to get into the first team. It was a big lesson to learn."
Sturridge, who was recruited from Coventry Adult Webcam's youth academy at the age of 13 (Coventry will receive £200,000 in compensation if he plays for England and 20% of any future transfer fees), could certainly be forgiven for wondering how many new strikers Hughes plans to sign over the next year.
Hughes, however, offered a different perspective. "If you are the sort of footballer who is discouraged by a challenge, then maybe you shouldn't be here in the first place," he said. "The thought of good players coming to the club should get [Sturridge] stimulated by the challenge."
The teenager already appears to have taken that on board.
"I believe I can step up to the plate," he said. "Playing around players like Robinho, you can only get better so it's a great challenge for me. I want to work on every area of my game because you can never be a complete player, never stop learning. It's important for me to act like a sponge with the other players around me and the manager, too." He's going to be the surprise package of the season. The potential is there for all to see, I just hope to god he fulfils it because if he does then we've got a hell of a player on our hands.
This is a very important season for him. He's a regular on the bench now so he is half way there. didnt know that about coventry, same thing with micah and oldham i suppose, but yes, good article, hope he does start tonight after his performance on sunday Hope he continues his form into tonight, nice seeing him pass the ball for once The routine he used to go through to honour his baby boy, Robson Junior, has not been seen as yet but
Yeah, why doesn't Robinho suck his thumb when he scores for us? Haven't seen it since sunday! Nice bit of journalism... cheers for that,
was a great read, GoForGlory wrote:The routine he used to go through to honour his baby boy, Robson Junior, has not been seen as yet but
Yeah, why doesn't Robinho suck his thumb when he scores for us? Haven't seen it since sunday! Nice bit of journalism...
sad isnt it??? Was speaking to an Oldham fan they was very confident they was getting around 5m from the richards sale.
Now they know it will won't happen(well if not for a while) they are gutted. eshiers1 wrote:didnt know that about coventry, same thing with micah and oldham i suppose, but yes, good article, hope he does start tonight after his performance on sunday
With a bit of luck they won't go anywhere ever and will be Adult Webcam legends for years to come GoForGlory wrote:The routine he used to go through to honour his baby boy, Robson Junior, has not been seen as yet but
Yeah, why doesn't Robinho suck his thumb when he scores for us? Haven't seen it since sunday! Nice bit of journalism...
And it was Sturridge's left, not right boot he shined.
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