Dalglish: Sometimes Suarez is just a joy
Kenny Dalglish felt the slightest twinge of sympathy for English defenders when last week's World Cup draw paired the Three Lions with the Barclays Premier League top scorer, Luis Suarez.
Roy Hodgson's England will meet Uruguay - for whom the 26-year-old stars in attack - at next summer's tournament in Brazil, as part of a Group D which also includes Costa Rica and Italy.
So far in 2013-14 the Liverpool No.7 has notched 14 times in just 10 appearances, including an outrageous four-goal haul of supreme quality when Norwich City visited Anfield.
His performances have naturally been watched closely and enjoyed hugely by Dalglish, the man who wore the same shirt with such glorious success and has described the forward as 'a real joy'.
The Scot told Liverpoolfc.com: "I would have thought that when the World Cup draw was made, there were a few English defenders thinking 'Oh no, I've got to play him again - it's bad enough twice during the season.'
"You couldn't write the script. People glossed over the second goal he scored against Norwich because of the brilliance of the other three, but the technique for the second goal was fantastic as well.
"Luis has been fantastic. He's a great entertainer and he's a humble guy. He's somebody that really enjoys working in training, he is never a problem in training. And he's fantastic on the pitch.
"It's a real joy to see him play sometimes. The goals he has scored have been hugely influential on the position that Liverpool are holding in the league at the moment."
Dalglish can take equal pride in the re-emergence of Jon Flanagan in recent weeks - the 20-year-old has started five of the Reds' last six fixtures and performed admirably at left-back.
The two-time former Liverpool manager handed the No.38 his debut for the club in April 2011 and believes the defender can prove to be a dependable player for Brendan Rodgers.
He added: "Flanno is a good player, he's got the belief in himself. Left-back might not be his favourite position but it's better than playing for the reserves. He has done really well since he came in.
"It was a big call for Brendan to play him at left-back; if you look at the game on Saturday, he was in at left-back and Aly Cissokho was on the bench - which tells you Flanno must be doing well.
"You cannot get a game because of your birthplace, you cannot get a game because you're a Scouser - you get a game because you're good. But when you're a Scouser, it helps as well when you play well.
"The fans are fantastic to him because he's one of their own; they can relate to that and he can relate to them - as long as he continues to concentrate and do well.
"Flanno is a good lad and a good player. He'll be helpful for Brendan to have in and around the squad."