The Liverpool manager also moved to clarify his comments about playing through the pain barrier as he sought to pep the player’s confidence.

Sturridge is included in the Liverpool squad that faces Southampton in the Capital One Cup Quarter-Final tonight as he waits to make his first start under Klopp.

The England forward has been troubled by knee and foot problems since the German took over to go with a long list of ailments which has seen him feature in half the games Liverpool have played since he joined in January 2013.

Klopp had said Sturridge had to learn what was “serious pain,” but ahead of the visit to St Mary’s he had held a round of talks with the attacker.