Suarez wins Player of the Year award
Luis Suarez has been named the Professional Footballers' Association
Players' Player of the Year for 2013-14.
It marks an amazing turnaround for the 27-year-old, who almost a year to the
day was caught on camera biting the arm of Chelsea defender Branislav
Ivanovic and banned for 10 matches by the Football Association.
Despite missing the first four games of the Premier League season through
suspension, the Uruguay international is practically assured of winning the
Premier League Golden Boot after plundering 30 goals in 31 appearances, as
well as providing 12 assists for a Liverpool team which regularly blew the
opposition away with their pace and attacking football.
Suarez won the award ahead of Liverpool teammates Steven Gerrard and
Daniel Sturridge, Southampton's Adam Lallana, Chelsea's Eden Hazard and
also Yaya Toure of Manchester City.
Suarez travelled down to the ceremony at Grosvenor House in London after
the Reds' 2-0 defeat at home to Chelsea earlier in the day, which dented their
title hopes.
Chelsea's Eden Hazard, absent for the game at Anfield due to injury, was
named winner of the Young Player of the Year award.
Suarez said: "The Premier League is full of really great players and so it is a
great honour when these players recognise your work on the pitch. I always
try my best for the team and it is nice to get awards but really this is for my
team-mates and the staff at Liverpool because without their help I wouldn't
have this prize."
The South American has put behind him a troublesome year which saw him
agitating for a move in the summer, even at one stage claiming manager
Brendan Rodgers had reneged on a deal to allow him to leave for a
Champions League club. Rodgers' handling of the situation has been
impressive but the Reds boss insisted all of the credit should be with the
player.
"He is a brilliant talent. I think the supporters have seen him mature over the
course of the last season," Rodgers said of Suarez on Friday. "I think he was
in a real low moment after that game [against Chelsea last year] but he has
gone away and probably looked in the mirror and reflected on himself
because he is not that type of guy and it probably just spilled over.
"He is a really intelligent man who fits the values of this club, which is all
about humility, class and he has all of that. He is a sheer winner and that
probably overspilled last year but his development over the last year has
been remarkable both on and off the field and Liverpool have benefited from
that.
"For me he is the consistently outstanding player over the course of the last
year."
Former Spurs winger Gareth Bale, now at Real Madrid, won both young and
senior PFA awards in 2012-13. Suarez was also nominated for the senior
award last season.
Luis Suarez has been named the Professional Footballers' Association
Players' Player of the Year for 2013-14.
It marks an amazing turnaround for the 27-year-old, who almost a year to the
day was caught on camera biting the arm of Chelsea defender Branislav
Ivanovic and banned for 10 matches by the Football Association.
Despite missing the first four games of the Premier League season through
suspension, the Uruguay international is practically assured of winning the
Premier League Golden Boot after plundering 30 goals in 31 appearances, as
well as providing 12 assists for a Liverpool team which regularly blew the
opposition away with their pace and attacking football.
Suarez won the award ahead of Liverpool teammates Steven Gerrard and
Daniel Sturridge, Southampton's Adam Lallana, Chelsea's Eden Hazard and
also Yaya Toure of Manchester City.
Suarez travelled down to the ceremony at Grosvenor House in London after
the Reds' 2-0 defeat at home to Chelsea earlier in the day, which dented their
title hopes.
Chelsea's Eden Hazard, absent for the game at Anfield due to injury, was
named winner of the Young Player of the Year award.
Suarez said: "The Premier League is full of really great players and so it is a
great honour when these players recognise your work on the pitch. I always
try my best for the team and it is nice to get awards but really this is for my
team-mates and the staff at Liverpool because without their help I wouldn't
have this prize."
The South American has put behind him a troublesome year which saw him
agitating for a move in the summer, even at one stage claiming manager
Brendan Rodgers had reneged on a deal to allow him to leave for a
Champions League club. Rodgers' handling of the situation has been
impressive but the Reds boss insisted all of the credit should be with the
player.
"He is a brilliant talent. I think the supporters have seen him mature over the
course of the last season," Rodgers said of Suarez on Friday. "I think he was
in a real low moment after that game [against Chelsea last year] but he has
gone away and probably looked in the mirror and reflected on himself
because he is not that type of guy and it probably just spilled over.
"He is a really intelligent man who fits the values of this club, which is all
about humility, class and he has all of that. He is a sheer winner and that
probably overspilled last year but his development over the last year has
been remarkable both on and off the field and Liverpool have benefited from
that.
"For me he is the consistently outstanding player over the course of the last
year."
Former Spurs winger Gareth Bale, now at Real Madrid, won both young and
senior PFA awards in 2012-13. Suarez was also nominated for the senior
award last season.
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