adminMADRID. — Luis Suarez claims Liverpool would never have mounted their unexpected title challenge last season without him.
The Uruguay international scored 31 English Premier League goals as the Reds finished runners-up to Manchester City and insists he left Anfield a happy man this summer, when a £75 million deal took him to Barcelona.
That contrasted sharply with his feelings at the start of his final campaign in England, for which he was suspended as he was still serving some of his 10-game ban for biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic, and he was made to train on his own after trying to manufacture a move away.
While he was serving the remainder of his ban, Liverpool picked up 10 points out of a possible 15. But having been reintegrated into the squad, the striker returned with 19 goals in his first 12 league appearances as the Reds gathered increasing momentum on their way to second place.
“I appreciate all the work the team did, but I missed six matches and scored all those goals in the Premier League without being the penalty-taker,” Suarez told Barca’s official website.
“The truth is that I left very happy because if I hadn’t had the attitude and mentality to want to lead the team forward, I don’t think Liverpool would have done as well as they did either.
“Getting back into the Champions League was another target I had in mind.”
He continued: “Personal success is always welcome and makes you happy, because that’s recognition of the good work you have done,” said Suarez, who is due to receive the Golden Shoe for being Europe’s joint-leading scorer from Liverpool icon Kenny Dalglish in Barcelona this week.
“But I put the team ahead of that and last season Liverpool came so close to winning the Premier League, which would have been spectacular.”
Suarez is likely to play his first competitive game for Barcelona in Spanish La Liga’s “Clasico” against Real Madrid later this month and he says it is no coincidence his biting ban expires the day before one of the biggest fixtures in world soccer. — Soccernet.
Online Reporter