Stevie: I wouldn't swap Suarez
Steven Gerrard has hailed Luis Suarez as one of the finest players in world football and insisted he would not swap the Uruguayan for anyone.
Suarez was unplayable at Carrow Road last Saturday, netting his first ever Liverpool hat-trick in sensational style. The third of his strikes, a sumptuous lob from 45 yards, will surely be a contender for Goal of the Season.
And Gerrard is convinced that having the No.7 in such deadly form can provide a crucial boost to Liverpool's chances of bringing home an eighth FA Cup when they face Chelsea at Wembley tomorrow.
"It's great for us that Luis is going into the final in such tremendous form," Gerrard told the Liverpool Echo. "It was a magical hat-trick at Norwich. He took his goals brilliantly. He showed that he's a world-class player. At the moment I wouldn't swap Luis for anyone in the world.
"I've got faith in our squad. We have been fantastic in the cups this season and we need to continue that.
"We've proved we can compete with the top sides this season. Now we have to overcome another one to win the trophy."
The day after Suarez set Carrow Road alight with a glorious treble, former Red Fernando Torres grabbed a hat-trick of his own against QPR at Stamford Bridge.
This came in the wake of a goal at the Nou Camp earlier that week which dispatched holders Barcelona from the Champions League.
And Gerrard, who formed one of the deadliest strike-partnerships in Europe with Torres when the forward was at Anfield, knows all too well about the threat the Spaniard will pose should he secure a place in Roberto Di Matteo's starting line-up on Saturday.
"We will have to wait and see what team their manager picks but if Fernando Torres is in there then he will be a threat," admitted the skipper. "We saw it on a daily basis when he was here what he's capable of. He's had a difficult time at Chelsea but he seems to have got his form back.
"If he's selected, he will be one of a number of their players we'll have to keep a close eye on.
"Fernando Torres wanted to go to Chelsea and you have to respect that. The club didn't stand in his way and we moved on without him. We're delighted with the strikers we've got here."