After one of the greatest individual seasons in Premier League history for Liverpool, Luis Suarez scored just under 200 goals for Barcelona, placing him among the greatest strikers of the twenty-first century. But according to the Uruguayan, his career would have been completely different if he hadn’t had one British coach.
When Suarez arrived on transfer deadline day, Scottish icon Kenny Dalglish was the manager, but the former Liverpool player didn’t stay in the dugout for long. After the 2011–12 season, he was stripped of his responsibilities and Brendan Rodgers took his place, a man Suarez says greatly influenced him.
Suarez on ‘One of the Best in Europe’ Brendan Rodgers
‘Such a big part of my education’
Suarez scored 31 Premier League goals in 33 games during an amazing 2013–14 season under Rodgers, earning a transfer to Barcelona, a powerhouse in La Liga. Suarez never forgot the Northern Irishman’s influence on him, even though he went on to have great success with the Spanish team, including winning the Champions League.
The striker was gushing over Rodgers in an interview with the Liverpool Echo in 2016, when the manager was being considered for a position with Celtic of the Scottish Premiership. Even after being fired by Liverpool in 2015, Suarez was not surprised that his former manager had been given such a significant opportunity. He stated:
“He is among the top coaches in Europe, and since he loves the game, it is not surprising that he wants to return to it.
“Such a big part of my education is down to him and his management.”
Rodgers is largely responsible for Suarez’s success.
“I doubt I would have pursued the career I did.”
Suarez continued to speak well of his former management. In a 2023 interview with the Daily Record, the Uruguayan talisman went on record to state that the British manager had a great influence on his career. Suarez stated that circumstances might have been quite different if their paths had not crossed:
“If it was not for Brendan, I am not sure I would have had the career that I did – he invested so much in me.”
He described the meticulous attention to detail Rodgers puts into each player and praised the former Liverpool manager as a terrific man-manager. He went on: “It’s clear that he cares about the team and playing visually appealing football, but people might not be aware of how hard he works one-on-one with each player. He will meet with you as frequently as necessary to discuss your abilities, plan out areas for improvement, and identify an opponent’s weakness that you, as a player, may take advantage of.”
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