Liverpool legend Steve Nicol believes that keeping Daniel Sturridge fit is key to seeing the Reds qualify for the Champions League this season.

Sturridge made his first start since August in Tuesday's 3-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur, and the former full-back thinks that Brendan Rodgers's side's chances of finishing inside the Premier League's top four will be greatly enhanced if the England striker can stay in the team.

Nicol told talkSPORT: "He is a real centre forward, his movement, the way he makes space for himself. For Liverpool, the key is Daniel Sturridge, no question. He was the star of the show [against Spurs].

"He not only creates chances and space for himself, but his movement opens it up for others. Have we ever seen Lazar Markovic making runs through the middle of the park and being so free? That is down to the movement of Sturridge.

"To get in the Champions League spot, into that top four, Daniel Sturridge is 100% the key."

The Reds travel to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup this weekend.