DANIEL STURRIDGE made an embarrassing gaffe on pundit duty for Sky Sports.
The former Man City and Liverpool star was on duty at the Etihad for Super Sunday, as his ex-clubs faced off against each other.
City trailed at the break 2-0, as presenter David Jones asked if he could see them getting back into the game.
He said: “They’ve been prying away and giving themselves opportunities.
“But when they’re getting crosses in the box, there’s not that presence in the box to get on the end of it.
“So, we might end up seeing Haaland at some stage in the game.”
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Norwegian hotshot Erling Haaland – who Sturridge referred to – was deemed unfit to be included in City’s squad before the clash.
That prompted Sky Sports presenter David Jones to interrupt.
Jones said: “Not Haaland today because he’s, of course, missing. But maybe there might be one or two options they can turn to.”
Fans online couldn’t help but notice Sturridge’s mistake.
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One wrote on X: “Sturridge had a stinker there.”
A second posted: “Sturridge has just been embarrassed there.”
While a third added: “Someone give Daniel Sturridge a team sheet.”
Sturridge is used to getting some attention on punditry duty for Sky Sports.
On his debut in 2023, he showed his flamboyant side by singing an initiation song alongside Micah Richards and Roy Keane.
While back in August last year, he suffered a wardrobe malfunction when one of the buttons on a shirt had broken.
Without Haaland, Man City struggled to find the net in a one-sided contest.
The Reds took the lead in the 14th minute through Mo Salah.
Dominik Szoboszlai scored Liverpool’s second before half-time to give the away side a comfortable lead.
Liverpool’s win has given them an 11 point lead at the top, following second-placed Arsenal’s defeat to West Ham on Saturday.
Meanwhile, fellow Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher continued his row with Pep Guardiola over Erling Haaland’s absense.
Midweek, Carragher joked Haaland was suffering with “Rudigeritis” while working as a pundit on CBS Sports.
When asked about the comments, Guardiola said: “Oh, God. Did he say that? Jamie Carragher said that? Oh God. Don’t laugh. I don’t know why he makes that suspicious, you know that?
“Did he say that Haaland didn’t want to play the game? It’s not nice — and it’s not true.
“He was crazy to play the game but had a problem with his knee and could not play.”
Carragher responded on social media by clarifying the comment was a joke made at the expense of fellow pundit and ex-Man City star Micah Richards.
During Sky Sports Super Sunday, Carragher was asked again about the comments.
The 47-year-old said while smirking: “Listen that illness may have carried over and could be Van Dijkitis.”
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After a few jokes among the panel, including presenter Jones, Micah Richards, Sturridge and Keane, Carragher added: “Listen there’s no doubt, I think I said in this fixture at Anfield, I think [Virgil] Van Dijk has the edge in terms of being slightly better in his position than Haaland is.
“But that is a brilliant match up.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
