Daniel Sturridge (right) has scored 18 goals for Liverpool in the Premier League.

Liverpool’s attacking tandem of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge are running neck-and-neck with Manchester City’s forward line to score the highest number of goals in the Premier League this season.

Suarez and Sturridge are also vying for the Golden Boot, given to the Premier League’s top marksman. Last Sunday, Suarez’s third goal in the 3-0 rout of Manchester United enabled him and Sturridge to become the most prolific Liverpool strikeforce for the last 50 years.

Sturridge began to bang in the goals from the start of the season as Suarez was suspended, returning to the fray after six matches.

Suarez has scored an impressive 25 goals in the Premier League so far while Sturridge managed 18.

In addition to his lethal partnership with Suarez, Sturridge has also struck up an understanding with Brazilian playmaker Philipe Coutinho.

Sturridge was born on September 1, 1989 in Birmingham.

At the age of seven, he was spotted playing in the parks by scouts and soon he joined the youths of Aston Villa.

He left Villa four years later to move to Coventry City from where he joined Manchester City’s Academy in 2003, aged 13.

At 16, he played for Manchester City during their 2006 FA Youth Cup run.

The youngest player in the side, he scored four goals en route to the final, and another two in the final, though they were insufficient to prevent a 3-2 aggregate defeat to Liverpool.

That summer, Sturridge signed his first professional contract, which came into effect when he turned 17 with City.

He scored his first goal for the Blues on January 27, 2008 in a FA Cup match against Sheffield United, followed three days later by his first league goal on his full debut in the Premier League against Derby County.

In the 2007-08 season, Sturridge became the only player ever to score in the Youth FA Cup, the FA Cup and the Premier League in the same season.

At the end of the 2008-09 campaign, the fans voted Sturridge as Manchester City’s Young Player of the Season.

When Sturridge’s contract at City expired, he signed for Chelsea on a four-year deal on July 3, 2009.

In January 2010, a tribunal decided that Chelsea must pay City an initial transfer fee of £3.5 million, rising to £6.5 million depending on appearances for club and the national team.

He made his Premier League debut for Chelsea on August 18, 2009 against Sunderland, coming on for Didier Drogba.

On September 16, 2009, Sturridge scored a hat-trick in a reserve game against Ipswich Town.

Two days later he made his first start for the club in a League Cup win against Bolton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge.

His last goal for Chelsea was against Manchester United in the League Cup, scoring in extra-time in a thrilling 5-4 win.

Liverpool decided to sign Sturridge in January 2013. His fee was set at £12 million.

And Sturridge lived up to his expectations as he scored on his league debut for the Reds after coming on as a half-time substitute in a 2-1 defeat against rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford.

After scoring in a FA Cup tie at Mansfield, Sturridge hit his third goal for Liverpool in his first Premier League start and home debut for the club, a 5-0 win against Norwich City at Anfield on January 19, meaning he had scored three goals in his first three appearances for the club. He became the first Liverpool player, since Ray Kennedy in 1974, to accomplish the feat.

Sturridge began the 2013-14 season by scoring the very first goal of the Premier League campaign, which also turned out to be the only goal in Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Stoke City – a scorcher from outside the box.

England career

Sturridge has represented England at U-16, U-17, U-18, U-19, U-20 and U-21 levels.

He made his senior debut under Italian boss Fabio Capello in the friendly international against Sweden, entering as a substitute.

His second appearance was against the Netherlands. Replacing Steven Gerrard, Sturridge earned the man of the match award on that occasion.

The Liverpool striker scored his first senior goal for England on March 22, 2013, finding the net in an 8-0 win against San Marino.

This goal meant that Sturridge has now played and scored at all levels of international football for the English national team.

Besides that, Sturridge has also made an appearance and been on the mark for the Great Britain Olympic team.

His target now should be the summer World Cup in Brazil.