Watch: Daniel Sturridge on Football Focus

Few things have been as enjoyable over the past fourteen months as the emergence of Daniel Sturridge as one of the most delightful--and delightfully effective--players in Liverpool's squad. The narrative pre-arrival was one of selfishness, isolation, and lost promise, confirmed through a spell at Chelsea that was more stop than start. As an active supporter of said narrative, I met his signing with a small flicker of hope and a much, much larger dose of skepticism and concern.

And how wonderful it's been to be so utterly and completely wrong. Historical wrongness. Almost so perfectly wrong that it's proving to be impressive. There's been moments of doubt, sure, but through early fitness questions and the occasional moments of isolated selfishness, Sturridge has completely bought into the opportunity Liverpool and Brendan Rodgers presented him, and we're all the better for it.

Just the tonic for an afternoon and evening that's otherwise going to be spent with jangled nerves and entertaining the thought that everything might not, in fact, be the worst.

Video via LFCTikiTaka