Source: Daily_Mail
Luis Suarez on the Liverpool No 7 shirt, biting and that handball
Luis Suarez is describing the goal that secured his passage from South America to Europe. Dispensing briefly with the services of the interpreter, he re-enacts it instead, albeit while remaining seated in a small interview room at Liverpool's training ground.[LNB] With his arms out he sways one way and then the other, before drawing a curve through the air with his left hand. He continues to speak in super-fast Spanish but I get the drift. It seems he beat two players, nutmegging one of them, before lifting a glorious left-foot chip over the goalkeeper. [LNB] Crouching tiger: Suarez, Liverpool's ?22.8m signing, relaxes at the club's Melwood training complex[LNB]'It was the best game I ever had in Uruguay!' he then declares, pausing long enough for the interpreter to offer a quick translation. Suarez was 18 at the time and unaware that in the crowd that day, watching this young Nacional striker terrorising the defenders of Defensor, were some scouts from a Dutch club called Groningen.[LNB] 'They were in Uruguay to see a different player from a different team,' he says. 'But they'd watched him on the Saturday and then chosen to watch our game on the Sunday. Afterwards they talked to me, and then told me they wanted to buy me. After one game.'[LNB] He did earn a penalty he then converted but he reflects on his wonder goal with more excitement.[LNB] 'The way I beat those players that day I did exactly what I intended to do,' he says. 'Against Manchester United the other day it just sort of happened. It was not lucky but it was more instinctive. But against Defensor I knew what I was going to do.'[LNB] This, it seems, is the kind of thing Liverpool's new striker wants to be recognised for and not those more controversial moments in his career.[LNB] There was the handball on the line against Ghana during the 2010 World Cup that enraged an entire continent, not to mention the incident last November that prompted De Telegraaf to brand him 'the cannibal of Ajax'.[LNB] In fairness to the Dutch newspaper,Suarez did receive a seven-match ban for biting PSV Eindhoven's OtmanBakkal. Suarez can't really explain it and when you watch it again onthe internet it is bizarre. Even Bakkal seems more bemused thananything else. 'It was a spur of the moment thing, and one of thosethings you regret afterwards,' says Suarez. 'I had never reacted thatway before. It is not in my nature to react that way. I normally try tobe tranquil on the pitch.'[LNB] Infamous: Uruguay's Luis Suarez, left, stops the ball with his hands during the World Cup quarter-final against Ghana[LNB]When Liverpool meet Sunderland at the Stadium of Light tomorrow, theincident during last summer's World Cup in South Africa will come backinto focus.[LNB] Suarez mighthave prevented Dominic Adiyiah from scoring with the goal-line savethat earned him a red card during Uruguay's quarter- final with Ghana -by then the only African team left in the competition - but it wasSunderland's Asamoah Gyan who missed the resulting penalty andSunderland's John Mensah who then missed from 12 yards in the shoot-outthat followed. Even Sulley Muntari, who opened the scoring, is now atSunderland.[LNB] More from Matt Lawton... Carlo Ancelotti: Torres is not 100 per cent...18/02/11 Steven Gerrard on how he's striving to make a difference11/02/11 Spurs defender Assou-Ekotto is a Smart guy22/01/11 Eddie Afekafe's inspiring story puts FIFA to shame 10/12/10 Houllier: I felt dead at Liverpool... I'm alive again at Villa19/11/10 Gareth Bale: The day I was told to stop using my left foot05/11/10 What are the secrets of Carlo's success?22/10/10 Darren Bent: One for the future? I'm ready to go NOW, striker tells Capello07/10/10 VIEW FULL ARCHIVE'I do regret what happened but if you asked 1,000 footballers I believe they would tell you they would have done exactly the same thing,' he says. 'We were fighting for a place in a World Cup semi-final and I had the chance to stop a goal. I didn't have time to think about it. I just did it.' But he then celebrated wildly when Gyan squandered the opportunity to secure Ghana's place in the last four.[LNB] 'I've never seen the pictures but people have told me I did,' he says.[LNB] 'I was caught up in the moment. As I said, it was a World Cup quarterfinal and I had never been in a situation like that before. I'm not even sure I realised I was celebrating.'[LNB] While he says he will shake Gyan's hand tomorrow he has no intention of mentioning the World Cup.[LNB]'For me he will just be another player and someone playing for Sunderland,' he says. 'It is not about us. It is a game between Sunderland and Liverpool and my focus will be on doing my best for my new team. I live for the present and the future. Not the past.' [LNB]His past is something he nevertheless remains proud of. Even when it comes to emerging from a family full of footballers. 'I wasn't even the best player in my house,' he says. 'I am one of six children and two of my brothers (Paolo and Max) are footballers too.[LNB] 'And my father (Rodolfo) was a footballer. My parents separated when I was nine but my father was always around and he still follows me now. He is always sending me messages.'[LNB] He moved to Holland at 19, joining Groningen for around ?750,000 and, after scoring 10 goals in 29 league appearances that season, was sold to Ajax for roughly 10 times that amount a year later.[LNB] Kop that! Luis Suarez skips past Chris Smalling and Rafael (left) to set up the first goal against Manchester United[LNB] At Ajax he was a revelation, but hesays much of the success he enjoyed was down to the education hereceived from some brilliant teachers. There was Marco van Basten andDennis Bergkamp, Frank de Boer and Henk ten Cate.[LNB]When Martin Jol arrived as manager, he responded to the sale of ThomasVermaelen to Arsenal by making Suarez captain. Before joining Liverpoolin January for ?22.8million, the 24-year-old joined Van Basten,Bergkamp and Johan Cruyff in scoring more than 100 goals for Ajax.Eighty one of those came in just 110 Dutch league appearances. Somerecord.[LNB] 'Even as a kid inUruguay I knew I would one day have to play in Europe,' he says. 'And Isaw Holland as a great school. I learned so much in my time in Hollandand, because of the way they do things there, I don't think I wouldhave learned as much somewhere else.[LNB] [LNB]'I was a selfish player. But they taught me the importance of being part of a team. Van Basten taught me a lot about how to play as a forward; about shooting techniques and about things that worked for him. His movement, his technique.[LNB]'But from all of them I learned about remaining calm on the pitch; when in front of goal and also when being fouled. You have to try not to react; take a step back. I learned to control my attitude more.'[LNB] So why did Jol make him skipper?[LNB] 'He said I had the qualities to become the captain,' he says. 'Even though I didn't speak every word of Dutch. He said I could transfer my mentality and my attitude to the team. I think it really helped with my development, to be captain. 'I always want more. I always want my team to perform to their best. We can win 4-0 but I want to win by eight. I don't like to lose. I never accept defeat.'[LNB] It is an attitude, when combined with his very obvious ability, that should make him popular at Anfield. He says he had no idea what the No 7 shirt represented when he requested it, but is now happy to carry that extra burden.[LNB] 'I hadn't realised its history when I asked for the seven,' he says. 'I was asked what number and I chose it. But now I'm quite happy that I did, now I know about players like Kenny Dalglish and Kevin Keegan. I have seen some videos of Dalglish scoring for Liverpool. He was a great player.'[LNB] I suggest that, like Dalglish, hetoo could be great. 'No,' he says modestly. 'I wouldn't compare myselfto him.' [LNB]But he is thrilled to be working with Dalglish, and to beliving in England with his wife Sofia and baby daughter Delfina. Justas he is relishing the opportunity to build a formidable partnershipwith Andy Carroll. Even if he did expect to be alongside FernandoTorres when he agreed to join.[LNB]'At clubs like Liverpool great players come and go,' he says. 'When Isigned I was just delighted to be joining such a big, important team.After I came Fernando went. But there are other big players at thisclub. Steven Gerrard, Pepe Reina. Some top, top players.[LNB]'Andy showed at Newcastle that he is a really good player and now Ibelieve we can build a good partnership together. All the strikers aregood here and I am happy to play with any of them. But I think thestrengths Andy and I have will complement each other well.[LNB]'In other leagues in Europe defences play very tight. There is not much room for the strikers. But here, because of the pace of the game, you get space. It is more competitive. At Ajax, against some teams, you just knew you were going to win. Here the lower teams still beat the stronger teams. But for players like me it is more open, and I am enjoying it.'[LNB] He can certainly see himself scoring a few more spectacular goals. [LNB] Top of the flops! Is Torres set to become Chelsea's most expensive failure? Dalglish shrugs off Europa exit and challenges Reds to snatch fifth spotSunderland v LIVERPOOL: Big guns Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez to start in attackDalglish in talks over two-year deal at Liverpool[LNB] [LNB] Explore more:People: Pepe Reina, Kevin Keegan, Andy Carroll, Kenny Dalglish, Johan Cruyff, Martin Jol, Steven Gerrard Places: Liverpool, Newcastle, Ghana, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, South Africa, Europe
