Sturridge reveals how a 13-point FIFA pace drop 'disrespected his name' in 2018

Daniel Sturridge once launched a pointed attack on EA Sports after his FIFA 18 pace rating was slashed by 13 points, dropping from 89 in FIFA 17 all the way down to 76 — a cut the former Liverpool and England striker refused to accept quietly.

In an interview with FATV, Sturridge first heard his speed had been rated at 79, which already drew his disbelief. When told the figure was actually 76, his reaction was unambiguous. “79? Don’t disrespect my pace like that bro. 76?!” he said, with former Liverpool teammate Raheem Sterling alongside him, quipping: “So basically you’re saying he’s slow then.”

Sturridge was equally blunt in his wider assessment. “I’m one of the fastest strikers in the Premier League,” he said. “To put 76 down is a disrespect to my credibility. It’s a disrespect to my integrity, to my name. No, I’m not having that.”

The episode has resurfaced in the context of FC27’s imminent release, with Erling Haaland currently holding the Premier League’s highest overall rating at 91. Back in 2018, Eden Hazard, David de Gea and Kevin De Bruyne shared that honour in FIFA 18, each rated 91 overall. Sturridge carried an 82 overall that year, but it was the pace figure that stung most.

Sturridge has not appeared in the game since FIFA 22 and is not among the current players rated in FC27. He could, however, feature as a Hero or Hall of Fame card — a route taken in FC26 by Hazard, Dimitar Berbatov and Peter Crouch, among others.