ANN ARBOR, Michigan -- Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge has told ESPN FC he can play in the 2022 World Cup for England, and insists he can extend his career at the top level and become a "fine wine" like former Chelsea teammate Didier Drogba.
After spending the second half of last season on loan at relegated West Bromwich Albion, Sturridge missed out on a place in Gareth Southgate's England squad for the 2018 World Cup.
The 28-year-old, who has scored eight goals in 26 full appearances for England, played five games in the qualifying rounds, including the 1-0 win against Lithuania in October, watched his international teammates from home as they reached the semifinals.
"Look, man, you can never say what could have been or I should have been there [World Cup[ or this, that," Sturridge said. "I helped them get to the World Cup and I scored some goals on the journey, but I'm happy for everyone that went, too, because you can never take these things personal.
"I've got a lot of love for Gareth Southgate. I think he's a great guy. He's doing a hell of a job.
"I think he'll bring success to the country, and I think the tournament which we did have, the World Cup which I wasn't able to participate in, but the boys did a great job over there.
"They made the country proud. They made everyone proud. I was a fan, which, I was obviously an unhappy fan not being there, but a fan that I'm happy for the boys.
"I kept in contact with everybody. Texted Raheem [Sterling]. Texted H [Harry Kane], text Hendo [Jordan Henderson]. Text all the boys, Danny Rose, all my friends. I texted them all and said good luck, guys. I text the manager.
"It's not about me. It's about, at the end of the day, I was unfortunate not to go but it's a beautiful thing, this game. You take the rough with the smooth.
"I've played in two tournaments and scored goals that made the country go wild looking at pictures, at videos.
"And then you have the down side of missing out, but then that gives you the drive to be like, "OK, you arose."
"Next World Cup, I'm trying to be there, 100 percent."
At 28, with a year left to run on his Liverpool contract, Sturridge is entering a crucial stage of his career, but he told ESPN FC that he is using the example of Drogba as inspiration for what can lie ahead in his thirties.
"I've got a lot of time," he said. "I look at someone like Didier, I'd say he came to prominence when he was like 26, 27.
"He joined Chelsea when he was 26, 27. I think in his career, he started growing as he started getting older.
BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil — Costa Rica finished first in one of the World Cup’s toughest groups after a dour 0-0 draw against a second-string team in the Group D finale for England on Tuesday.
Costa Rica only needed a draw to finish first in the group and played that way, setting up in a defensive 5-3-2 formation.
The result gives Costa Rica its best World Cup performance, winning a group that contained three former world champions. While the Ticos reached the knockout stages in 1990, they finished second in a weaker group. Costa Rica will play the runner-up in Group C in the second round.
“We will have to keep fighting,” Costa Rica Coach Jorge Luis Pinto said. “Whatever happens we are willing to fight.”
England lost its first two matches, to Italy and Uruguay, while Costa Rica surprisingly won its first two. Uruguay also advanced from the group after beating Italy, 1-0.
“It wasn’t the death group after all — at least not for us,” Pinto said. He dedicated the qualification to “those who believed in us and those who didn’t.”
“People started believing after the game against Italy,” he added.
England had already been eliminated and will go home without a win after striker Daniel Sturridge missed a number of chances throughout the match.
“We showed today what a good team we can be,” England Coach Roy Hodgson said. “Apart from the first 10 minutes, I thought we dominated.”
One of Sturridge’s best opportunities came in the 65th minute after a nice one-two with midfielder Jack Wilshere. But the forward’s curling shot from the right just missed squeezing inside the far post.
Costa Rica had started the match brightly, passing the ball around midfield with ease and making England chase. Forward Joel Campbell had an early chance, but his shot from inside the area deflected off Gary Cahill and went wide in the second minute.
Costa Rica’s best chance came in the 23rd minute when Celso Borges’s curling free kick was tipped onto the crossbar and out for a corner by England goalkeeper Ben Foster.
But that was about it in terms of attacking for the Costa Ricans and they were happy to absorb England’s pressure, especially in the second half.
Pinto defended his team defensive tactics, saying Costa Rica was also out to attack.
“Some people said we would only defend,” he said. “No, that’s not true. You have seen it. We have been able to attack as well. That is why we are very proud,”
With nothing to play for, Hodgson made nine changes to the England team, fielding a slew of younger talent, including Adam Lallana, Ross Barkley and Luke Shaw.
England’s backup players looked disjointed in the first half, giving the ball away and finding it difficult to break through Costa Rica’s defense.
Wilshere made a fine run down the left in the 12th minute, setting up Sturridge just outside the area, but the forward’s curling shot just missed wide. Sturridge missed another good chance in the 18th from a throw-in, when he let the ball run in front of him before the unmarked striker launched a long-range shot that went wide.
In the 35th, Ross Barkley sent a long ball into the penalty area, which Phil Jones connected with and nodded across the face of goal. But Sturridge headed it over the crossbar.
Wayne Rooney came on as a substitute late in the second half and made an instant impact for England. He found space just outside Costa Rica’s area in the 80th, but the backpedaling Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas was able to tip it over the bar and out for a corner.
While England showed improvement in the second half, the team couldn’t find a way a through Costa Rica’s rear-guard.
A hard-core group of about 150 England fans stayed in the stands long after the final whistle after the stadium was otherwise empty, chanting loudly and jumping up and down.
About 25 armed riot police with shields and batons formed a line behind stewards who were urging them to leave Mineirao Stadium. Singing “England Till We Die,” the fans eventually left the stands peacefully.