Reds skipper delighted Suarez stayed at Anfield…
Liverpool and England captain Steven Gerrard has admitted he feared Luis Suarez would join Arsenal over the summer, reports BBC Sport.
The Uruguayan striker has returned to the Reds lineup following a ten match suspension, and immediately bagged a brace against Sunderland in his first Premier League match at the weekend.
Over the summer, the controversial forward was adamant he wanted to leave, with Arsenal and Real Madrid heavily interested.
Gerrard was asked if he reckoned he had played his last game with the world-class 26-year-old…
“Everyday in the summer,” replied the England skipper.
“When you have a player as good as Luis Suarez, you know that the big clubs are going to want him.”
“I remember waking up every morning, hoping that nothing would happen and that he would still be here.”
Suarez was brilliant for Liverpool last term, scoring 30 goals in all competitions, cementing his reputation as one of the world’s best players. Quite understandably, the player felt his ability warranted Champions league football, but his club flatly refused to sell him.
“Nobody tried harder than me to make him stay and he knows exactly what I think of him,” said Gerrard.
“When the club got the message to him that they were not going to sell him, he got his head down and has worked hard. He has never given us a moment’s problem.”
With Liverpool currently sitting in second place in the table, and without the distraction of the Europa league or League Cup, the Reds have a realistic chance of achieving something this season. Whether it will be enough for Suarez to prolong his stay beyond next summer, is yet to be seen however.
“I think it is a credit to Luis for the way he has come back. A lot of players who have been in his position might have come back and spat the dummy out, not trying for the team. But he is not that type of guy,” Gerrard continued.
“He realised that the club wanted to keep him and he has respected their decision. He is here now and he wants to stay. He wants to achieve something this season and he looks as hungry as he has ever done.”
Liverpool take on Crystal Palace at Anfield at the weekend, and Suarez will be eager to build on his impressive comeback.
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