Suarez wants to go from sinner to saint

In the city with two cathedrals, Luiz Suarez is in search of absolution.

Liverpool's new £22.8million striker became a football outcast last summer when his instinctive decision to punch Dominic ­Adiyiah's goal-bound effort off the line in the last-minute of a World Cup quarter-final enabled Uruguay to advance after a penalty shoot-out

Then two months ago, the "Hand of the Devil" became "The ­Cannibal of Ajax" when Suarez was caught sickeningly ­sinking his teeth into the shoulder of PSV ­Eindhoven's Otman Bakaal.

"Sinner" Suarez admitted he knew nothing about the iconic status of ­Liverpool's No 7 shirt - once worn by Kevin Keegan and Kenny Dalglish - when he ­arrived from Ajax last week.

But he hopes his debut goal against Stoke is just the beginning as he looks to atone for his past.

"I showed during the World Cup that I am prepared to do what it takes for the team, even to the point of sacrificing myself, said ­Suarez.

"I did it for the good of the team and for the good of my nation.

"Whether I would do it again is a question I am unable to answer. I am like every other player in that we do things intuitively and instinctively.

"It's a thing that happens in the heat of the moment and I am sure if you asked every player in the world what they would have done in that moment, they would admit they would do the same thing.

"You just don't think about it at the time - it happens and it happened to me.

"But whether I would do the same thing again I will only be able to answer if and when the moment arises. Maybe I will look at it ­differently in 15 or 20 years' time. Whether I will criticise myself then or believe it was the right thing to do, I do not know."

When asked about the bite on Bacaal that earned him a seven-match ban from the Dutch FA, as well as a huge club fine, Suarez ­admitted that he can offer no ­justification.

"Listen, regarding Bakkal I made quite a few statements at the time of the incident and I believe it is behind me now," he said. "I want to put it behind me.

"I sincerely hope that this move to Liverpool will help me to be ­remembered for good things.

"I want to be recognised for my football skills, my ability to score goals and the work I put in for the teams I have played for."

Certainly, there can be no ­doubting the talent of the 24-year-old from Uruguay's second-largest city Salto.Last season, he topped the Dutch Eridivisie goal charts, with 35 goals in 33 games, and struck 49 times in all competitions.

His willingness to learn the Dutch language also saw him become Ajax captain.

Suarez said: "It went through my mind after the game against Stoke that now I have scored my first goal the pressure has eased a little.

"As a striker, you do think about scoring goals but that is not going to worry me now.

"I hope that I can settle in here very quickly both on and off the pitch.

"But I have never been the type of person to let pressures off the field affect my game.

"As soon as I step out on the park the only thing I concentrate on is the next 90 minutes.

"It has always been like that for me from an early age.

"It didn't matter whether I was playing for a junior team at ­Nacional in Uruguay or for the national team or Ajax."

He added: "The reason I chose Liverpool was because this has ­always been a club I have equated with the Champions League.

"But I must be honest and say that when it came to picking the No 7 shirt I took it because it is a number I like - but I knew nothing about its history.

"I am not suggesting we are ­definitely going to qualify this year, but the expectation is there.

"You can never say what will ­happen in ­football. We know we are a few points behind

"Chelsea are in fourth place, but our hopes and expectations are that we will be fighting to get a place in the top four.

"All kinds of results can happen in English football, so it gives us hope that it could happen."

Source: Sunday Mirror

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