LU WERE MY INSPIRATION

Henderson claims former Kop king Suarez made him the captain he is

BY

LUIS SUAREZ is sure to receive a warm welcome at Anfield from at least one admirer tonight.

Reds skipper Jordan Henderson says his former team-mate, no longer a hero to the

Kop, was a huge influence on his career and helped him grow as player and captain.

The two are still close, keeping in regular contact since Suarez moved to Spain with, first, Barcelona and now Atletico Madrid. And Henderson admits he has a lot to thank the Uruguayan for.

“He helped me a lot when he was at Liverpool, how he was in training, how he always wanted to win,” said England midfielder Henderson (playing against Suarez, above).

“He would play through the pain barrier, he just wanted to get out and play football and try to do his best for the team, and I took a lot from that.

“He helped me massively and made me grow in confidence as a player. I had a good relationship with him on the pitch but also off the pitch. We still keep in touch. Not all the time but I am still close to him and we speak now and again.”

Liverpool fans are less impressed with Suarez following his antics for Barcelona against the Reds in the Champions League semi-final in 2019 (top). He not only laughed in the face of Andy Robertson when Barca scored their third goal in the first leg, but he also tried to get Liverpool players sent off in both legs of the dramatic tie.

He kicked fullback Robertson out of the second leg but the Scot’s replacement, Gini Wijnaldum, scored two goals to set up the Reds for one of their greatest wins of all time.

That night, the Kop chanted that Suarez was a “cheat, cheat,” and also booed him and sang: “F*** off Suarez.”

Henderson, though, knows that his former team-mate, intensely passionate about winning, sometimes pushes the boundaries because of his determination.

But he says that is precisely what makes him such a dangerous opponent. “We know he’s a top player who produced so many good moments at Liverpool,” said the Kop skipper.

“He’s a world-class player who causes a lot of problems for defences. He’s always in and around the goal and, if he gets a chance, I’m sure he will take it so we have to be on our guard with him.

“Atletico have world-class players throughout the side but certainly Luis is a top striker who can cause any team problems.”

Suarez was on the bench for the epic showdown with Atletico in Madrid a fortnight ago, coming on only for the final 10 minutes of Liverpool’s dramatic 3-2 win.

He should start tonight, especially as fellow striker Antoine Griezmann is suspended after a red card in the first match, and Marcos Llorente, who scored twice at Anfield when Atletico won 3-2 in March 2020, is injured.

Suarez, 34, played down the anger of the home fans when he played in that incredible Barcelona defeat in May 2019, the night Liverpool overturned a 3-0 deficit to win 4-3 on aggregate

“I know how passionate the fans are, the atmosphere at Anfield is amazing,” he said.

“They got behind me because they knew how committed I was to get the club back to the top.

“We must beware. Liverpool have a very strong team, and they have an extra player in the crowd, which makes things harder for us.”