CLICK HERE to read Sportsmail's full interview with Daniel Sturridge by Chief Sports Writer Oliver Holt. The Liverpool striker talks about his upbringing, his club team-mates and why he doesn't blame Roy Hodgson for his five-month injury lay-off. Daniel Sturridge describes himself as a 'very closed-off person' but here in an exclusive interview with Sportsmail he opens up about his life on-and-off the field. As the Reds prepare for Monday's Premier League trip to Swansea, the 25-year-old striker talks about his upbringing, his club team-mates and why he doesn't blame Roy Hodgson for his five-month injury lay-off. Here, Sportsmail gathers the best 10 quotes from our Sturridge interview. Daniel Sturridge tells Sportsmail his thoughts on Mario Balotelli, Steven Gerrard and his injury problems . Sturridge on Mario Balotelli . 'In football you meet people who are cool guys and he is one of those guys. He is a young guy who just wants to live his life. Anyone at the age of 24, if you put a microscope on them for a few months and see how they are living, it would probably be far worse than Mario. He is a normal guy. Footballers are put on a pedestal of not being human but we are just normal people. I am a normal dude.' Mario Balotelli (left) has been described as a 'cool guy' by Sturridge, despite a difficult start at his new club . Sturridge on Steven Gerrard . 'This guy is a living legend. Words can't describe what he has done not just for the club but for the players as well. He helps players settle in, young players. He takes them under his wing. We will never be able to repay him for that. His stature and his demeanour will be very difficult to replace but we have to. It will take time. That guy will always be a legend in my eyes. I am in awe of him now.' Sturridge (right) has hailed departing Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard (centre) as a 'living legend' of the club . Sturridge on strikers . 'Why am I watching someone else's glories and achievements? It doesn't matter to me who comes around or what players are about. It means nothing to me. When you watch other people, you don't get anywhere in life because you are at war with yourself. Well done to Harry Kane and what he has achieved, but I am not watching what he is doing. I just believe in me.' Harry Kane has had a scintillating  season at Tottenham scoring 26 goals in all competitions so far . Sturridge on England injury . 'Regardless of what happened in the past, I love playing for England,’ says Sturridge. ‘That situation occurred and it’s in the past. I don’t want to dwell on it. People pick injuries up and they are unfortunate. It just so happened I got injured that day. It’s life. People get injured sometimes. It is what it is.' Sturridge's five-month injury lay-off began when he damaged thigh muscles while on England duty last year . Sturridge on Roy Hodgson . ‘My relationship with the England manager is top class. No worries at all. We speak via text. We speak to each other. We keep in touch. Throughout my injury, he kept in touch. I would never blame him for this. Never. Or any of the staff - it was just an unfortunate incident. I have got so much respect and admiration for him and his set-up. The relationship is very, very good.' Despite the injury, Sturridge (right) says his relationship with England manager Roy Hodgson as 'top class' Sturridge on his personal life . 'I'm a very closed-off person,' says Sturridge. 'I can count my friends on one hand. Everyone has acquaintances, workmates and so on, but apart from that, I just have my family and a close-knit group of people around me. 'Why closed-off? I think it is down to childhood. When you grow up in certain environments, you can't be too loud or too open because you can be exposed to things you don't want to be exposed to. Where I grew up there was crime and there were other things.' Despite his extrovert celebration, the 25-year-old striker describes himself as a 'very closed-off person' Sturridge on Birmingham gang culture . 'There was a gang culture when I was growing up in Birmingham. It was easy to stay away from it because the football was there but that’s the reason why I have never been open. 'It becomes second nature to be like that. I had to be wary. At all times. 'The gang stuff wasn’t based on colours - it was more about areas. You might be a family friend of someone who was involved with something. I was never involved in anything like that and I enjoyed growing up there.' Sturridge on faith . 'I am grateful to God for everything that I have had in the past and everything I will have in the future,' he says. 'You have setbacks, you have comebacks, you have glories, you don't have glories. Not everything is going to be rosy and sweet all the time. There are going to be times in your life when you go through certain situations that test your character, test your courage, test your faith, test your self-belief, test everything.' Sturridge grew up in Hockley in the inner city Birmingham where he kept to himself to himself as a child . Sturridge on USA injury rehabilitation routine . 'I am getting up at 7am and I am finishing at 4 or 5pm. I’m tired. It’s dark by then. The sun’s not out. I went back to my room, ate. Then I played some dominoes and went to bed.' Sturridge on his dream dinner date with four sportsmen . 'Muhammad Ali, Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan and Diego Maradona. I prefer Pele to Maradona as a player but I’d have Maradona for the laughs.' Argentina great Diego Maradona (centre) would be included in Sturridge's dream sportsmen dinner date .
Daniel Sturridge talks about his Birmingham upbringing and gangs . Striker describes Liverpool team-mate Mario Balotelli as a 'cool guy'
Liverpool star hails Steven Gerrard as a 'living legend'