Fernando Torres completed a British record ?50million transfer from Liverpool to Chelsea at the same time as Sturridge was putting the finishing touches to his move to Bolton on loan until the end of the season.
With Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka and Salomon Kalou also competing for places up front at Stamford Bridge, it is perhaps not surprising that Sturridge has had limited opportunities since his switch from Manchester City 18 months ago.
But the 21-year-old is adamant his time will come, saying: "I'm not worried about Torres coming in. I believe in myself. I'm not worrying about any players the club signs because it's a world-class club with world-class players. I think Didier and Nico are coming towards the end of their careers now and we needed to replace them at some point. It's great that we've signed Fernando Torres, he's a great player."
Until the end of the season, Sturridge's task is to take advantage of the opportunities afforded to him at Bolton, but the England Under-21 forward fully expects to be heading back to Chelsea in the summer.
"I don't think Chelsea are going to let me leave even if I was interested in going," he continued. "They made it quite clear they weren't going to entertain a transfer, and in the beginning I wasn't allowed to go on loan. I'm a Chelsea player and I love Chelsea. I've come to Bolton to further my career and gain first-team experience, and I'm sure the manager here will help me to achieve that goal. It'll be a great period here for me but then I'll go back to Chelsea and try to further my career there."
Source: PA
Source: PA