Football celebrations end up becoming a player’s signature after a goal and defines the player’s identity and attitude on the pitch.
Messi’s iconic celebration “Point to the sky” is an ode to his grandma who supported him in building his career as a footballer and always stood by his side, be it his Rosario days or days in Barcelona.
Less needs to be said about Ronaldo’s “Sui” celebration. A strong statement and a flex of what he can achieve on the pitch. “Sui” has a very simple meaning of “Yes” but has a strong meaning to it.
Such celebrations go down to define a player’s career-defining moments and sometimes are used as a sign of respect for legends as well.
Rayan Cherki unexpectedly sent football nostalgia into overdrive after appearing to imitate the ever-legendary celebration of Daniel Sturridge called the Wave, now popularly renamed to the “Daniel Sturridge Dance.”
The moment happened when Cherki walked past the BBC panel including Sturridge were interviewing Pep Guardiola after the FA Cup final win against Chelsea at Wembley.
Cherki noticed Sturridge, stopped and did the Wave as Micah Richards noticed the City star in action.
Rayan Cherki is clearly a Daniel Sturridge fan 😅🕺 pic.twitter.com/3l1WmpkzY7
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) May 16, 2026
The celebration from Sturrdige originated from a casual moment at his apartment, where he was dancing with friends and family to house music.
He first performed it publicly during a Carling Cup match against Manchester United while playing for Chelsea, and it became a signature move during his prolific time at Liverpool.
Cherki, who grew up in Lyon in France, would have been 10-12 years old when Daniel’s legendary stint took place at Liverpool between 2013 and 2015.
The timing matters impeccably as Liverpool was one of the most entertaining sides in Europe and played a huge influential role for young attackers at that moment.
For kids who grew up watching Liverpool at the time, they could not have witnessed a better attacking team of that decade.
The dance itself became iconic because of how naturally it had matched Sturridge’s cool personality on and off the pitch.
The dance spread across social media, especially towards the youth at the time, making it’s way through youtube compilations.
Seeing Cherki perform the celebration was a call-back to the Sturridge Liverpool era.
And those years had a true electric element to them.
During the 2013/14 season, Sturridge had found his perfect partner in Luis Suarez, forming one of the most deadly attacking forward duo at that time.
The duo terrorized defences with a mixture of chaos and movement as Liverpool came agonisingly close to winning the Premier League under Brendan Rodgers.
Statistically speaking, the partnership was absurd.
Suarez finished the league campaign with 31 goals despite missing the opening five matches through suspension, while Sturridge himself scored 21 Premier League goals.
Together, they combined for more than 50 goals and turned Liverpool into a terrifying attacking side in Europe that season.
movement, combined with Suarez’s unpredictability, complemented each other very well, which looked more instinctive than crowded.
Sturridge’s beloved personality was what made the youth love watching him. Adding flair to his playstyle set him apart from other strikers of the generation.
This is what allowed Cherki’s imitation to have a strong resonation with the fans online.
The Man City attacker comes from a generation of footballers who, more than stats, had flair to their playstyle like Neymar and Eden Hazard.
Fans immediately loved Cherki’s imitation because it had a genuine “streets will never forget” vibe to it.
Sturridge’s career may have been shortened by injuries but had a strong cultural presence that hasn’t faded to this date, thanks to Cherki keeping his spirit alive.
For older fans, it’s a reminder of one of the most iconic attacking duos in the history of the Premier League.
For younger fans, it’s the aura of Sturridge that lives on through the newer generation of footballers.
