Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has lavished praise upon his former charge Luis Suarez, who left the Reds for Barcelona this summer.
Suarez has yet to make his Barca debut due to the ban for biting he received during the World Cup but is days away from being eligible and could feature against Real Madrid at Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday.
Rodgers’ Liverpool host Madrid on Wednesday and in advance of the fixture he has been interviewed by AS and touched on what he sees as Los Blancos’ strengths, as well as revealing how Spanish football has influenced him as a manager.
On the subject of Suarez, Rodgers admitted he looks back on his time with the Uruguay international with fondness.
“I enjoyed every minute of working with him. He’s a great guy,” Rodgers said.
“It’s true there were some issues on the pitch but I only have good things to say about Luis.
“Each day he came to training and was prepared as you would expect from an elite player.
“He is magic, pure magic, a magic player and a good person.”
Rodgers added that he expects Suarez to thrive at Camp Nou in the way he did at Anfield, explaining how he made Suarez the main man at the club.
“He’ll succeed at Barca. No doubt. I built the team around him,” Rodgers recalled.
“He was criticised for his effectiveness but he scored 30 goals in the first year we were together and 31 in the second.
“We helped him improve and he helped the team to grow.”
Rodgers was also asked directly if there would be another Spanish player added to the Liverpool squad in the winter, amid speculation of moves for Victor Valdes or Iker Casillas.
“No,” came the simple reply.
