After witnessing the vast majority of yet another league campaign ruined by injuries, Daniel Sturridge marked a return to first team action against West Ham United in the FA Cup on Tuesday night.

Although the Reds failed to see themselves over the line in a game that eventually took 120 minutes to be decided at the Boleyn Ground this week, several Liverpool fans were happy enough just to see the 26-year-old England international finally out on the pitch once again for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

However, as it could be just a matter of time before Daniel Sturridge breaks down with yet another long-term injury complaint sooner rather than later, will the former Manchester City and Chelsea front-man ever  return to his very best form in front of the Anfield faithful?

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Even though we may have to cast our minds quite a way back in order to remember Daniel Sturridge truly operating at his highest level of performance, this is a player who could still potentially bring the good times back at Liverpool once and for all.

The current Reds squad isn’t exactly brimming with talent from all angles and after the £32million figure of Christian Benteke  missed a hat-full of chances last against the Hammers, Liverpool arguably need all the help they can get from their struggling striking department.

On his day and free from his frustrating plight of recent injury concerns, Daniel Sturridge represents one of the best striking talents on offer in the Premier League. This is a player who can score goals at will when fully fit and firing, his quick turn of pace inside the final third often proves rather effective, and the striker’s ability to send the ball home in one-on-one situations has also been flawless in seasons past for Liverpool.

Reds fans would likely feel sick to the stomach if Liverpool eventually decided to part ways with the England international, and he subsequently began banging in the goals at a consistent rate for one of their closest Premier League rivals.

Yet as Daniel Sturridge has become something of a forgotten entity at Anfield in recent years, maybe such an outcome is just what's required for him during these less than enjoyable stages of his career.

Whilst it was great to see the Reds striker finally back out on the pitch this week against Slaven Bilic’s West Ham outfit, it remains to be seen whether or not the 26-year-old front-man really has what it takes to return to his very best form.

The Daniel Sturridge of the modern era may still possess all the necessary hallmarks in front of goal to make it at the highest level, but since a string of frustrating injuries have effected the quick-footed attacker over the past couple of seasons he has looked permanently short of his best from a psychological point of view.

Sturridge quite understandably doesn’t seem up for putting himself about as much as he once did, the 2014 World Cup goal-scorer remains off the pace in light of his stark downturn in first team action as of late and although it would be wrong to accuse the Liverpool striker of failing to give his all in front of the Anfield faithful these days, the former Manchester City youngster may never rediscover his dangerous aggressiveness in front of goal ever again.

Much has obviously been said about the front-man and his string of tough injury set-backs this term, with Jurgen Klopp himself also raising the need for Sturridge to manage pain more effectively.

So although it would be promising to see the 26-year-old truly back among the goals in the not too distant future, it ultimately seems as if the Anfield faithful have already seen the last of Daniel Sturridge’s best form in a Liverpool shirt with everything that has recently taken place for the Reds attacker in recent years.

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