Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge has admitted that he was frustrated by accusations that he prioritised playing for the Reds over England.
Last month, the 24-year-old was quoted as saying that he was 'more worried' about performing well for Liverpool after he was forced to pull out of two of England's World Cup qualifiers due to injury.
After making the comments, Sturridge defended himself by insisting that his words were taken out of context.
"It was so frustrating," Sturridge told Life + Times magazine. "The worst thing was that there was an article on the Liverpool website which they posted out featuring comments I had made a week prior, so it was taken out of context and the fans had a perception of me that I cared more about my club than my country.
"But the reason I had said that was because the games you play for your club are the groundwork for becoming an England regular, and if I don't play for Liverpool, I won't get selected for England and not the other way around."
Sturridge is expected to feature in England's final qualifier against Poland tonight.
Danielle Joynson
