Luis Suarez believes Liverpool would not have challenged for the title last season without him spearheading their attack.
Suarez, who joined Barcelona in a deal worth around £75 million in the summer, said he had been able to leave Anfield happy as he had won the European Golden Boot last season - an award shared with Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo - and been the leader who returned Liverpool to the Champions League.
As part of an orchestrated media campaign ahead of his likely Barca debut in the La Liga 'clasico' at Real Madrid on October 25, Suarez was interviewed by his new club's website, in which he said he was the main factor behind the Anfield club's good form last year.
He said: "Personal success is always welcome and makes you happy, because that's recognition of the good work you have done.
"But I put the team ahead of that and last season Liverpool came so close to winning the Premier League, which would have been spectacular.
"I appreciate all the work the team did. But I missed six matches and scored all those goals in the Premier League without being the penalty-taker.
"I really could leave happy because if I hadn't had the attitude and mentality to lead the team, I don't think Liverpool would have done as well as they did.
"Getting back into the Champions League was another target I had in mind."
Suarez also revealed that he also feels aggrieved over being found guilty of racism in the 2011 incident involving Manchester United's Patrice Evra.
Suarez was banned for eight matches for racially abusing Evra during a Premier League game in a decision not accepted at the time by either the player or Liverpool.
When it was pointed out by his interviewer that "your temper has caused you several problems over the years" and asked if he regretted anything, the Evra issue was again brought up.
"When I say I'm sorry it's because I regret something," Suarez said. "Being sorry implies regret. But they have also sometimes judged me on things that aren't true, such as the racism thing. I was accused without evidence and that's what grieved me the most.
Suarez still refuses to accept responsibility after being found guilty of racially abusing Patrice Evra © PA Photos
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Suarez was handed a four-month ban from all football after biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup, which was later reduced to just competitive action. But while having played just a few friendly games for club and country during his ban, he was now anxious to get back to competitive action.
"All I can say is that I have arrived with the desire to be a success at Barca, that I am hungry to win titles," he said. "I haven't played in European competitions for a few years and I want to do the best I can in every game. Nothing in my life was given to me, and now I have the chance to play for team that I have always wanted to play for, and it's a chance I intend to make the most of. I want to show the fans that I want to be a success at Barça and to help my team-mates as much as I can."
It had been difficult being on the sidelines watching his team-mates compete, Suarez admitted.
"When I have gone to the last few games that the team has played I've noticed how I'm getting more anxious to play and help them out," he said. "I hate feeling so impotent because I can't do anything to help them. The first two months were the hardest because I didn't feel like a footballer. That was the worst part. It is always good to accept your mistakes but what angered me most was not feeling like a professional, not feeling like another worker, like other footballers do. That's what hurt me the most."
Suarez was keen to say that the Chiellini bite, as well as other similar incidents involving opponents when playing for Ajax and Liverpool in the past, were mistakes which he had [eventually] accepted were wrong.
"It is good to accept that you have made a mistake and that's what I did," he said. "I left it a few days [last summer] because you have to remember that I'm only human and sometimes it's hard to face the truth.
"I found it hard to take in and to realise what I had done. Those were days when I didn't want to know about it. I just wanted to be with my wife and children, who supported me through that time. I didn't want to listen to anybody, or speak to anybody. I didn't want to accept it."
Read more at http://www.espn.co.uk/football/sport/story/355935.html#qGpZHwops6I4Udw8.99
Suarez, who joined Barcelona in a deal worth around £75 million in the summer, said he had been able to leave Anfield happy as he had won the European Golden Boot last season - an award shared with Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo - and been the leader who returned Liverpool to the Champions League.
As part of an orchestrated media campaign ahead of his likely Barca debut in the La Liga 'clasico' at Real Madrid on October 25, Suarez was interviewed by his new club's website, in which he said he was the main factor behind the Anfield club's good form last year.
He said: "Personal success is always welcome and makes you happy, because that's recognition of the good work you have done.
"But I put the team ahead of that and last season Liverpool came so close to winning the Premier League, which would have been spectacular.
"I appreciate all the work the team did. But I missed six matches and scored all those goals in the Premier League without being the penalty-taker.
"I really could leave happy because if I hadn't had the attitude and mentality to lead the team, I don't think Liverpool would have done as well as they did.
"Getting back into the Champions League was another target I had in mind."
Suarez also revealed that he also feels aggrieved over being found guilty of racism in the 2011 incident involving Manchester United's Patrice Evra.
Suarez was banned for eight matches for racially abusing Evra during a Premier League game in a decision not accepted at the time by either the player or Liverpool.
When it was pointed out by his interviewer that "your temper has caused you several problems over the years" and asked if he regretted anything, the Evra issue was again brought up.
"When I say I'm sorry it's because I regret something," Suarez said. "Being sorry implies regret. But they have also sometimes judged me on things that aren't true, such as the racism thing. I was accused without evidence and that's what grieved me the most.
Suarez still refuses to accept responsibility after being found guilty of racially abusing Patrice Evra © PA Photos
Enlarge
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Suarez was handed a four-month ban from all football after biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup, which was later reduced to just competitive action. But while having played just a few friendly games for club and country during his ban, he was now anxious to get back to competitive action.
"All I can say is that I have arrived with the desire to be a success at Barca, that I am hungry to win titles," he said. "I haven't played in European competitions for a few years and I want to do the best I can in every game. Nothing in my life was given to me, and now I have the chance to play for team that I have always wanted to play for, and it's a chance I intend to make the most of. I want to show the fans that I want to be a success at Barça and to help my team-mates as much as I can."
It had been difficult being on the sidelines watching his team-mates compete, Suarez admitted.
"When I have gone to the last few games that the team has played I've noticed how I'm getting more anxious to play and help them out," he said. "I hate feeling so impotent because I can't do anything to help them. The first two months were the hardest because I didn't feel like a footballer. That was the worst part. It is always good to accept your mistakes but what angered me most was not feeling like a professional, not feeling like another worker, like other footballers do. That's what hurt me the most."
Suarez was keen to say that the Chiellini bite, as well as other similar incidents involving opponents when playing for Ajax and Liverpool in the past, were mistakes which he had [eventually] accepted were wrong.
"It is good to accept that you have made a mistake and that's what I did," he said. "I left it a few days [last summer] because you have to remember that I'm only human and sometimes it's hard to face the truth.
"I found it hard to take in and to realise what I had done. Those were days when I didn't want to know about it. I just wanted to be with my wife and children, who supported me through that time. I didn't want to listen to anybody, or speak to anybody. I didn't want to accept it."
Read more at http://www.espn.co.uk/football/sport/story/355935.html#qGpZHwops6I4Udw8.99
