Lampard tips Sturridge for England success

Frank Lampard has tipped his Chelsea colleague Daniel Sturridge to force his way into England contention for Euro 2012.

Wayne Rooney will miss at least the opening group game of the tournament following his sending off against Montenegro, and Lampard is confident Sturridge has the potential to lead the line for England.

“There is no doubt Daniel will break through at international level,” Lampard told The Sun. “It’s just a matter of when it happens for him.”

“He can be a great player for Chelsea and for England. He has skill, unbelievable speed off the mark and he can finish. What more can you ask?”

“He brings the excitement that supporters crave and his pace gives him the ability to beat his man and create a goal out of nothing.”

Sturridge, 22, enjoyed a successful five-month loan spell at Bolton last season and has impressed Lampard with his performances so far this campaign under Blues boss Andre Villas-Boas.

The midfielder added: “His time with Bolton gave him the confidence that he could do it in the Premier League.”

“He never got the chance here so he went to Bolton, scored regularly and returned to Chelsea for pre-season training with a spring in his step and showed he is going to be a top-drawer player.”

“You can see the manager trusts him from the fact he has thrown him straight into the team this season.”

Lampard also downplayed suggestions that Sturridge is overly confident in his abilities, adding: “Sometimes people confuse over-confidence with a desire to do well.”

“He has every right to be confident because he has the ability to become a great player.”