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Lucas Leiva believes in-form Liverpool FC striker Daniel Sturridge is flourishing in an environment where his talents are fully appreciated.

The opening three matches of the campaign have seen three match-winning contributions from the £12million frontman.

Having struck the solitary goal in narrow Premier League wins against both Stoke City and Aston Villa, Sturridge’s double helped Brendan Rodgers’ side avoid an early exit from the Capital One Cup against Notts County in midweek.

After frustrating spells at Manchester City and Chelsea, the 23-year-old has silenced his critics by enjoying a dream start to his Anfield career with 15 goals in just 19 appearances following his arrival from Stamford Bridge in January.

The extra responsibility heaped on his shoulders by Luis Suarez’s long suspension has brought out the best in him and Lucas is hoping Sturridge continues his hot streak in Sunday’s showdown with Manchester United.

“I think Daniel is a player who needs to feels important,” Lucas said.

“When he has a responsibility to step in and score goals for the team he becomes a big player.

“I remember at Bolton when he was on loan from Chelsea he was really important for them and scored a lot of goals.

“Daniel needs to feel that the team are really behind him and he’s got that here. What we’re all trying to do is make him feel really comfortable.

“He has scored a lot of goals since he joined the club and has made a really good impact. We hope he keeps that form going.

“He missed nearly all of pre-season with an ankle injury but he’s naturally a very sharp and strong striker. He didn’t lose his fitness when he was out and has started the season brilliantly.

“His confidence is high going into the United game and hopefully he can keep this scoring run going. If he keeps scoring goals then we will have a better chance to achieve our targets this season.”

After the pace, control, skill and finishing touch Sturridge showcased at Villa Park last weekend Rodgers likened his attributes to that of a top Brazilian striker. Lucas insists the comparison with his fellow countrymen was justified.

Lucas said: “With me being a holding midfielder, Daniel plays more like a Brazilian than I do!

“He has so much ability and skill. You can see there is a great understanding between him and Philippe Coutinho.

“Daniel has got so much potential. He has all the skills to be one of the best strikers in the world for sure. We have seen that with his performances for the club so far.

“This is a big season for him and I know how much he wants to do well. With the World Cup next summer there will be a big reward if he keeps performing like this.”

Having been rested in midweek, Lucas will return to the starting line up for Sunday’s visit of United.

It’s a fixture the 26-year-old always relishes and he’s desperate to ensure Liverpool go into the international break on a high by extending their 100% record.

The Reds haven’t beaten United in the Premier League in four attempts since Dirk Kuyt’s hat-trick at Anfield back in March 2011.

“This is probably the biggest derby game of the season for us,” Lucas said.

“Of course we also have the games against Everton which are big as well but United at home is always a special match for the fans. There is always a great atmosphere for these games. The rivalry between the two sets of fans is huge. Hopefully we can give our fans something to celebrate.

“It has come very early in the season but I think we are ready for it and we believe we can get the three points. A win could put us at the top of the table for the next fortnight.

“The way we have started the season means we will go into Sunday with a lot of confidence. It’s still early and we can’t get too excited but it has been completely different to last season. Winning our first two league games has given us a great platform to build on.

“The way we played against Stoke and in the first half against Villa provided some promising signs that this will be a good season for us. Of course there is still room for improvement and we know we can do things better.

“In the first half against Villa we controlled the game. Maybe we didn’t create that many chances but we got ourselves in front and passed the ball really well. In the second half it was more difficult. Villa were more offensive and we had to defend more. We had to play without the ball for a lot of the second half.

“It was similar against Notts County. We got ourselves 2-0 up but once they scored in the second half that gave them the belief to get another. But in the end, even with 10 men, we showed we were the better team.

“We always want to be better. There are things to improve but to still win games like we have done is good. Sunday will be a big test for us but we’ll be ready.”

Video: Daniel Sturridge dances with Reds fan after Notts County win

United ‘won’t be any easier under Moyes’

Lucas Leiva nsists the change of manager at Manchester United won’t make Liverpool’s task any easier at Anfield on Sunday.

It will be the first meeting between the clubs since David Moyes was appointed as Alex Ferguson’s successor. Moyes’ reign began with a 4-1 win at Swansea City prior to Monday night’s dour goalless draw with Chelsea.

“It will be a difficult game as they are the champions and the players who won them the title are still there,” Lucas said.

“They won the league quite comfortably last season and showed what a strong team they are.

“Of course Sir Alex Ferguson was a fantastic manager for them for 27 years and played a big part in a successful era.

“There is bound to be a transition period for them but they still have the same players and the way they play is more or less the same. I don’t see David Moyes changing too much.”

If Liverpool are serious about competing for a Champions League spot this season they will need to improve their record against the top sides.

They won just one of their dozen Premier League games against top six clubs last season, taking only 10 points out of a possible 36.

“We want to win more of those games this time around and this weekend is the first chance for us to do that,” Lucas added.

“It makes a big difference if you can beat the big teams. Over the past few years we have shown we are capable, especially at home.

“There were a lot of draws in those games last season and hopefully we can turn those into wins this season.

“We might not have always beaten United in recent years but we always play well against them. It’s such a big game it brings out the best in players.

“Whatever happens on Sunday won’t say anything about where the teams will be at the end of the season, but if we can get a good result if will give us a lot of belief for the months ahead.”