Liverpool

Steven Gerrard: 'Luis Suarez deserves credit for response'

By Liam Power, Reporter | 01 October 2013

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard hails Luis Suarez's return to first-team action and admits that he is delighted to be back alongside the Uruguay forward.

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has declared that Luis Suarez deserves credit for bouncing back after a turbulent summer on Merseyside.

Suarez went public with his desire to leave Liverpool for Arsenal during the close season, but the Reds stuck to their guns and rejected two offers for the Uruguay striker.

The 26-year-old returned to Premier League action following a 10-man match ban for biting last weekend and made an instant impact, bagging a brace in Sunday's 3-1 win over Sunderland.

Gerrard has admitted that he was delighted to see Suarez stay with the Reds when the transfer window closed, while revealing that he worked hard to persuade the forward that his future lied at Anfield.

He told the Daily Mirror: "Every day I was waking up hoping nothing would happen and he would still be here. When you have a player as good as Luis, you know the big clubs are going to want him.

"Nobody tried harder than me to keep him at Anfield and he knows exactly what I think of him. I knew if we could keep him here, the better our chances would be.

"It's a credit to Luis for the way he has bounced back from a difficult summer. A lot of players in his position might have come back and spat the dummy out and not tried, but Luis looks hungrier than ever."

Brendan Rodgers's side have made a strong start to his second season in charge, sitting second in the table with four wins from their six league games.