Daniel Sturridge once accused EA Sports of disrespecting him as their FIFA game cut his pace by a whopping 13 points. Many professional footballers will see their official ratings for the new FC27 game this season as it releases on Friday. Erling Haaland remains the Premier League's highest-rated player with a 91 overall. But back in 2018, the landscape for the top players in England looked drastically different.
Sturridge's Pace Rating Anger
Eden Hazard, David de Gea and Kevin De Bruyne were the top-rated players in the FIFA 18 edition with 91 overalls. Sturridge was given an 82 ranking but it was his drop in pace that angered him the most. In FIFA 17, the striker had an impressive 89 speed rating, but it dropped drastically over the next year to a measly 76. In an interview with FATV, the ex-Red initially heard that his pace had fallen to 79 and he was even baffled by this.
Sturridge said: "79? Don't disrespect my pace like that bro. 76?!" Fellow Liverpool alumni Raheem Sterling was present in the same interview and responded by saying: "So basically you're saying he's slow then."
Sturridge's Response
The ex-England international continued his rant at his FIFA rating as he said: "I'm one of the fastest strikers in the Premier League. 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."
Sturridge has not featured in the video game since FIFA 22 and is currently not included in any of the current players' ratings for FC27. However, he could still have a chance to be featured as a Hero or Hall of Fame card, like other former Premier League players. In FC26, the likes of Chelsea hero Hazard, ex-Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov and former Stoke City star Peter Crouch were all included as Heroes.
