Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has claimed that Luis Suarez is the best footballer that he has played alongside during his career.

The Uruguayan international has received plenty of plaudits and awards for scoring 31 goals this season, one of which is the title of Football Writers' Football of the Year, which manager Brendan Rodgers collected on the striker's behalf.

In the event programme, Gerrard said: "I've been privileged to play alongside some great players during my years at Liverpool but nobody comes close to Luis. He's not only the best, he's the best by some distance.

"We've all seen what he's done this season with his goals and his all-round brilliance and I think it's taken Luis on to a different level.

"Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the two best players in the world and have been for the last four or five years, but Luis is tucked right in there behind them now."

Suarez, who missed the first six games of the 2013-14 season due to a 10-match ban for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic, has insisted that he is happy at Anfield.