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Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard: Luis Suarez is the best player I've played with...by a distance

Gerrard heaps the Uruguayan striker with his highest praise

James Orr
Thursday 08 May 2014 11:02 BST
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Luis Suarez (left) and Steven Gerrard talk during Liverpool training
Luis Suarez (left) and Steven Gerrard talk during Liverpool training

Steven Gerrard has heaped the highest praise on Luis Suarez, describing the Uruguay striker as the "best player he has ever played with by a distance".

Suarez picked up three awards at Liverpool's end of season awards ceremony - Players' Player of the Year, Fans' Player of the Year, and scorer of the club's goal of the season. These latest awards were in addition to the two "big ones" that he has already won this season - the Football Writers' Player of the Year, and the Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year, but to have such praise from his veteran captain may have topped the lot.

The 27-year-old has scored 31 goals this season that has lifted Liverpool from seventh place last season to title contenders. Having missed the first six league matches of the season due to his biting incident with Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic, Suarez has completed a remarkable turnaround - something which has filled Gerrard with pride.

"Luis seems to be cleaning up at the moment. He's won everything and we are lucky to have such a world-class talent like Luis playing here with us and helping us to great things and be successful," Gerrard said at the Liverpool Players' Awards Dinner on Tuesday night.

"He is out there by a big distance as the best player I have played with and that is no disrespect to anyone else - there has been some top talent for club and country - but this fella can do the lot. He is different to most footballers.

"There is some disappointment looming around but if this fella stays around for a few more years I think there will be some really big nights."

Liverpool sit on top the Premier League table by a point, but will be overtaken by Manchester City if they avoid defeat against Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night.

While Gerrard loves playing alongside Suarez, they will be at opposite ends at the World Cup on 19 June when Uruguay meet England in Sao Paolo.

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