Suarez: Europe motivates me
Luis Suarez today dismissed the accolades he has received since arriving in England and insisted firing Liverpool into Europe is his only motivation.
Few foreign players have enjoyed as quick an adaptation to Barclays Premier League football as the Uruguayan, who has hogged man of the match awards in the three months since his move from Ajax.
First-team coach Steve Clarke even claimed that not since Gianfranco Zola has an imported star had such an instant impact, but the man himself does not wish to bask in the plaudits that are coming his way.
"It does not matter that I keep getting these man of the match awards," said Suarez, who netted his third goal in Liverpool colours during our 3-0 win over Newcastle on Sunday. "All that matters is that we keep on winning games and going up the table.
"The Europa League is our objective. When I came I wanted to help Liverpool get there but when the second half of the season started it looked really difficult.
"But we have kept winning games, we have played really well and got some important victories, and we have just been hoping that Tottenham drop points.
"There are still three games left and we have to prepare ourselves really well to make sure we get all the points we can.
"Tottenham at home is going to be a great game. That will be the most important game of our season if we want to dream about going to the Europa League."
Europa League football brings with it a heavy fixture load - but Suarez knows it would provide a great opportunity to win his first medal on Merseyside.
"For me the Europa League is important, the sort of competition you want to play in," he said.
"A club like Liverpool can only think in one way. If you get into the Champions League, your objective has to be to win that.
"If you get in the Europa League, of course, your objective has to be to win that. That is what a club like this must aim for. We have to do everything we can to win as many competitions as we can."