It's been six years to the day since Liverpool signed Daniel Sturridge. A £12million capture from Chelsea, the striker immediately hit the ground running at Anfield and gave a new-look Reds side under Brendan Rodgers an added dimension up top
In the resulting 2190 days since he put to paper on what was described as a "long-term deal" by Liverpool, the striker has seen it all
He arrived at Liverpool with Rodgers' side a work in progress, but quickly helped accelerate the development of the manager's long-term plan
The Northern Irishman was just a few short months into his tenure with the Reds in January 2013 and they only really began to show glimpses of the style he wanted to implement at Anfield once Sturridge - and Philippe Coutinho - arrived through the doors that month
Sturridge would finish the season with 11 goals in all competitions before playing a starring role in a Liverpool team that has come as close as any to winning the Premier League a year later
The 2013/14 season saw Sturridge strike up an incredible partnership with Luis Suarez, with the former blasting in 24 goals in all competitions to complement the 32 the Uruguayan genius netted in his final campaign with the club
Suarez was operating at his peak of his powers and rightly lauded as one of the world's best players - and Sturridge wasn't too far behind his level after a blistering campaign that would see Rodgers' Reds finish with 101 goals and three points short of the title
However, the 2014/15 campaign would prove to be something of a turning point. Sturridge was ravaged by injury throughout as he made just 12 Premier League appearances in Rodgers' final full season
Another year of set-backs would limit him to just 14 games in the top flight as Jurgen Klopp lamented an inability to field his gifted No
15 on a more regular basis. "I have not been that long here but I understand why everyone is waiting, but we have to accept the situation," said Klopp
"The situation is Daniel has been very often injured in the last months and years
It is normal that when you get back in training for this to happen." Roberto Firmino eventually nudged ahead in the pecking order under Klopp as the Brazilian became recognised more and more as a traditional centre-forward, meaning Sturridge was relegated to the role of understudy
The 2016/17 season saw Sturridge turn out for the Reds 27 times in all competitions as Klopp began to reap the rewards of a specially-tailored fitness programme for the one-time talisman
However, with competition for places increased by the signings of Mohamed Salah and Dominic Solanke in 2017, Sturridge found game-time limited the following season and he made just four starts before departing on loan for what would be an unsuccessful loan stint at West Brom
Last summer seemingly brought about a renewed hunger and desire from Sturridge as he impressed Klopp and his coaching staff throughout pre-season with a series of eye-catching performances
A lack of quality isn't a problem Sturridge has wrestled with throughout his career, but the striker returned from his post-season break with a spring his step looking sharper, leaner and fitter than he had for some time
The writing on the wall that appeared to signal the end of his Anfield stay was washed off as Sturridge began the campaign in fine style, netting four times before the beginning of October - including a Goal-of-the-Season contender away at Chelsea
An opening weekend tap-in against West Ham, two goals against Chelsea and his first-ever for the club in the Champions League - in a 3-2 victory over Paris Saint-Germain, no less - meant Sturridge was providing his most significant contributions to the Liverpool cause for a number of years
The New Year sees Sturridge into the final few months of his current Liverpool contract however, and the ex-Manchester City man is free to discuss pre-contract terms with clubs outside of England this month
For Sturridge though, a player whose fortunes have wildly fluctuated over the past six years, the next few months of his stay on Merseyside could yet be his most important yet
Admittedly, the status that Sturridge once enjoyed with the Reds is no longer there and Klopp does not have to sweat weekly on the fitness of the forward - or deliver repeated updates on the well-being of the ex-England man
But as Sturridge begins his sixth year as a Liverpool player, the former Chelsea man could still have a huge part to play in the club's attempts to end a painful 29-year wait for a league title
The contract may be ticking away into its final few weeks, but Sturridge's personal plans for the future can be shelved until June
He has, like the rest of his current team-mates, the chance to become an Anfield immortal this year
It's an opportunity he surely won't want to pass on.
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