Chelsea sent him to Bolton Wanderers and he scored 8 in 12 - look what followed | OneFootball

Daniel Sturridge's loan spell with Bolton Wanderers provided him with the platform to become a regular in the Premier League

Bolton Wanderers have been fortunate enough to be blessed with some incredible loan players over the years, though few can dream of boasting the career that Daniel Sturridge enjoyed.

Bolton were once Premier League regulars, but since 2012, the Trotters have spent the bulk of their time between the Championship and League One, with even a brief stint in League Two.

The Greater Manchester outfit could once boast the likes of Jay-Jay Okocha, Fernando Hierro, and Nicolas Anelka in their ranks under the guidance of Sam Allardyce, but as the financial muscle of clubs surrounding them levelled the playing field and, eventually, overshadowed them, they had to find a new way to source some talent.

James Trafford, Conor Bradley, and Jack Wilshere have all spent time on loan at the Toughsheet Community Stadium over the years, though none of those can quite boast a career like former Trotters loan star Daniel Sturridge can.

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Sturridge began his career with Birmingham-based Cadbury Athletic before joining Aston Villa's academy in 1996, spending six years in the Villains' youth system before his father took him to Coventry City in 2002.

One year with the Sky Blues was followed by a move to Manchester City in 2003, where Sturridge continued to climb the ranks, becoming a regular in the England youth setup, and eventually making his professional debut for the Citizens in February 2007.

The Englishman would continue to remain on the periphery of the Man City first-team for the next couple of years, before becoming a regular fixture in the 2008/09 campaign, scoring four and assisting two in 16 Premier League games, prompting a move to London with Chelsea for a potential £6.5 million in 2009.

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Upon his move to Stamford Bridge, Sturridge again struggled to earn meaningful first-team minutes, and after 18 months, he would be allowed to join then-Premier League outfit Bolton in January 2011 on deadline day.

It wouldn't take long for Sturridge to announce himself to the league, coming on as a late substitute at home to Bolton Wanderers on his debut and grabbing the winner in a 1-0 victory.

From there, head coach Owen Coyle partnered Sturridge up top with Kevin Davies, as the Chelsea loanee would net in the next three consecutive games for the club, taking his tally to four goals in his first four appearances for the Trotters.

A brace against West Ham United, as well as goals against Arsenal and Blackpool, took his tally to eight goals in 12 appearances by the end of his loan spell, as Sturridge had well and truly announced himself in the top flight.

Daniel Sturridge's Bolton Wanderers loan spell thrust him into the limelight ahead of a hugely successful career

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Upon his return to Chelsea, Sturridge was thrust into the starting XI under André Villas-Boas, providing competition up top for the likes of Anelka, Juan Mata, Solomon Kalou, Florent Malouda, and Fernando Torres.

He scored 11 and provided three assists in 30 Premier League games across the 2011/12 campaign for the Blues, but injuries would halt his time in West London at the start of the following campaign, and by the time January rolled around, Liverpool agreed a fee worth around £12 million to bring the striker to Anfield on a long-term contract.

Sturridge enjoyed the form of his life on Merseyside in his first 18 months at the club, scoring ten and assisting three in just 14 league games to round out the 2011/12 season, and followed that up with 22 goals and seven assists in 29 league games across the 2012/13 campaign.

From there, in truth, injury woes would massively limit Sturridge's minutes, making over 20 appearances in a season just once thereafter, but he would score memorable goals against Wales at Euro 2016 and away against former club Chelsea in 2018.

Brief stints with West Bromwich Albion, Trabzonspor, and Perth Glory would round out his playing days, as the two-time Champions League winner hung up his boots in 2022.

Although his career didn't quite reach the potential of what it could have been, Sturridge still had a wonderful time in professional football, as his stint with Bolton provided him with the platform to prove himself at that level.

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Nowadays, Sturridge is a regular alongside Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, Micah Richards, and Roy Keane on Sky Sports as a pundit, having chosen to get into that line of work following his retirement.

Had injuries not curtailed his career, Sturridge could well have gone down as one of the Premier League's greatest goalscorers, and achieved a lot more than his 26 caps for England.

Best known for his time with Liverpool, it was with Bolton that Sturridge first announced himself to the world; had he not shone during his brief stay in Greater Manchester, who knows whether he would go on to have the career he did.