Luis Suarez has revealed that Kenny Dalglish's presence at Liverpool convinced him to join the Reds.
Reds new boy delighted to be playing under an Anfield legend
Luis Suarez has revealed that Kenny Dalglish's presence at Liverpool convinced him to join the Reds.
The Uruguayan striker saw his switch to Anfield rubberstamped on transfer deadline day, allowing him to pen a five-and-a-half-year contract.
His deal was pushed through as Fernando Torres edged closer to the exits, with a £50million deal with Chelsea eventually agreed.
Suarez was targeted as a replacement for the Spaniard, with £35million splashed out on Andy Carroll to play alongside him.
The former Ajax man was intrigued by the challenge posed by Liverpool from the outset, but admits that the opportunity to work with a 'legend' such as Dalglish helped to sway his final decision.
"He is a person who you respect after only a few seconds of conversation," Suarez told
LFC Weekly.
"He tried to speak to me in Spanish - 'hola, bienvenido' (hello and welcome) - the basics and that impressed me. Obviously, he is a legend at this club, in this city, but I think it's very important to judge people as you see them rather than just what you hear. He has lived up to that legend in my eyes.
"I could see quickly that Dalglish is a manager and a person who I can relate to and he is very determined to make the team play with a certain image - the kind of attractive football that I want to be a part of.
"He was very keen to bring me here and if there is one person that was influential in my signing, it was him. He is very ambitious about the club and is confident he can lead the club back to the top. Now I am here, I do not want to disappoint him in any way."
Perspective
Filling Torres' boots and impressing his boss means scoring goals, with Suarez under pressure to hit the ground running.
He made the perfect start with a debut goal in a 2-0 victory over Stoke on Wednesday and insists he is unfazed by the pressures being placed upon him.
"Ajax made me realise that it's important to keep a perspective on life and football," he added.
"I am aware that the fee Liverpool paid for me was big, but I'm not going to worry about that. There will be pressure from the outside for me to succeed but every time I set foot on to a football pitch, I want to enjoy it. There is no point being here if I don't enjoy it.
"Some players can become obsessed with the pressure and trying to deal with it, but I think it is important to be yourself - try your best and believe in yourself."
