LUIZ SUAREZ

Luis Suarez is a household name now. Even the most ardent Liverpool fan cannot argue that it’s entirely because of his magical football abilities. Suarez was a prodigious young talent. Even in the youth teams that he played, he was always the star. He was the man they always counted on. And he never ceased to deliver. And then, he moved to Ajax where he continued to shine. Then, Liverpool took notice of him and duly signed him for roughly 23m. He scored in his first game in front of the Kop and immediately became the darling of the fans. He was one of the best players for Liverpool in a season where they finished a lowly sixth. Suarez then had an astounding Copa America 2011 and won the player of the tournament award. But he had a poor season by his standards. He could score only eleven league goals and Liverpool finished the season in eighth place. He was still appreciated by the Kop for his contributions and even helped Liverpool to the League Cup in the same season. But the world had already gotten a preview of what was to come as far as his character was concerned. In October 2011, he was accused of racially abusing Manchester United’s Patrice Evra. Liverpool, foolishly, wore tee shirts in support of Suarez before the next game. It was a move that generated wide spread criticism. These incidents however had no effect on his form and he banged in 23 league goals in the next season and was voted the second best player of the Premier League that season. However, in April 2013, he bit Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic. It was a shocking incident, which a normal football viewer could scarcely believe. Even Liverpool couldn’t support him much this time and he was given a 10-game ban. In the following transfer window, he desperately wanted to leave Liverpool. However, Liverpool didn’t want to sell him. The next season was his best. He scored 31 goals in 33 games, an astounding feat. In the World cup that followed, he bit Italy’s Chiellini. He was banned for 5 months from football, which was welcomed by everybody. It was then that Liverpool probably realized that they were better off selling him for some huge bucks. Suarez moved to Barcelona for 73m. The Kop though, will remember him for all the joy that he brought them with his game. Suarez was always going to be a gamble. His discipline had always been bad. But he was worth all that. Here’s wishing Luis Suarez good luck at Barcelona! He may score 40 goals in one season or he might be banned for the whole season. With Luis Suarez, you never know.