Liverpool have been blessed with world-class strikers in the past but only one reigns supreme, according to a Reds icon
The debate over Liverpool’s best striker of the last two decades continues to rumble on with Fernando Torres and Luis Suarez both in contention. One player who could fairly judge who should sit top of the tree is Steven Gerrard, and the former Liverpool captain thinks the answer is obvious – Suarez.
Playing together from 2011-14, the Uruguayan netted 82 goals in 133 games for the Reds. Gerrard praised Suarez’s fearsome reputation among defenders, telling Barcelona’s website: “I don’t think anyone looks forward to playing against Luis Suarez.”
The iconic midfielder, who made 710 appearances for the Reds between 1998 and 2015, said: “(Suarez) is a fantastic talent and a great player.” Gerrard continued, proclaiming that “he is probably the best player I’ve ever played with.”
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The 38-year-old moved to Merseyside in 2011, signing from Dutch side Ajax for £20million (€23.5m). Winning the League Cup in his second season, he quickly made his mark and finished sixth in the 2011 Ballon d’Or race.
Gerrard was full of praise for his “fantastic team-mate,” who formed a terrifying partnership with fellow striker Daniel Sturridge in the 2013-14 Premier League season. The duo scored over 50 goals and almost powered Liverpool to the title, which would have been their first in 24 years, before Gerrard’s infamous slip handed the league to Manchester City.
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Despite parting ways in the summer of 2014, Suarez and Gerrard remain on good terms. “He’s a good guy; a family man away from the pitch,” Gerrard told Barcelona’s website. “We keep in touch and have supported each other throughout our careers.”
Suarez’s career has not been without controversy. On three separate occasions, he has been at the centre of biting incidents. In 2010, Suarez chomped on PSV midfielder Otman Bakkal’s shoulder. Barely three years later, Suarez again bit Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic.
In the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Suarez was once again mired in controversy after sinking his teeth into Italian centre-back Giorgio Chiellini and faced a four-month suspension for his actions.
It was in this period that Suarez left Gerrard’s Liverpool, joining Barcelona in a big-money move for around £71m (€82m). In his 2016 autobiography, My Story, the midfielder piled praise on his former team-mate, writing that “he blew me away with his talent.”
Liverpool struggled to replace their No.7 and Gerrard left the club at the end of the 2014-15 season. At Barcelona, Suarez formed a lethal trio with Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr. and led Luis Enrique’s side to the treble.
Suarez has been playing in the MLS for David Beckham’s Inter Miami alongside Barca legend Messi. The Herons recently won the MLS Cup, beating the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in the final, held in Florida.
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