Luis Suarez was named the PFA Player of the Year on Sunday night after scoring an astonishing 30 Premier League goals which have helped catapult Liverpool into this season's Premier League title race.
Luis Suarez was named the PFA Player of the Year on Sunday night after scoring an astonishing 30 Premier League goals which have helped catapult Liverpool into this season's Premier League title race.
The award shows a remarkable turnaround for the striker after the Liverpool No 7 was banned for racially abusing Patrice Evra in 2011 and caused more controversy at the end of last season when he was banned for 10 games after biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic.
However having missed the first month of this year's campaign, Suarez returned to the Liverpool side at the end of September and formed an incredible partnership with Daniel Sturridge as the pair scored the goals which have helped fire Liverpool towards the top of the table.
NewEAC Blog Scroll down to watch Luis Suarez star in a new television advert
Well-deserved: Liverpool striker Luis Suarez scooped the PFA Player of the Year award on Sunday night
All smiles: Suarez poses with Chelsea's Eden Hazard who scooped the award for Young Player of the Year
Surprise, surprise! Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has won the PFA Player of the Year for 2013/14
Upset: The Uruguayan didn't have the best of times against Jose Mourinho's Chelsea on Sunday afternoon
The Liverpool frontman said: 'The Premier League is full of really
great players and so it is a great honour when these players recognise
your work on the pitch.
'I always try my best for the team and it is nice to get awards but really this is for my team-mates and the staff at Liverpool because without their help I wouldn't have this prize.'
Chelsea wideman Eden Hazard, who scooped the Young Player of the Year award, came second for the main accolade while Manchester City talisman Yaya Toure came third.
Suarez, who becomes the first Liverpool player to win the award since Steven Gerrard picked up the accolade back in 2006, was the overwhelming favourite for the top award after enjoying arguably the best season of his career.
What has made his feat more remarkable is the fact he was suspended for five matches at the start of the season as his ban for biting Ivanovic carried over into this campaign.
The South American has put behind him a troublesome year which saw him agitating for a move in the summer, even at one stage claiming manager Brendan Rodgers had reneged on a deal to allow him to leave for a Champions League club.
Cheers! Suarez has been in breathtaking form in front of goal all season long for the Reds
Bang in form: Suarez has somehow managed to net a staggering 30 goals for the Premier League title chasers
Rodgers' handling of the situation has been impressive but the Reds boss insisted all of the credit should be with the player.
'He is a brilliant talent. I think the supporters have seen him mature over the course of the last season,' Rodgers said of Suarez on Friday.
'I think he was in a real low moment after that game (against Chelsea last year) but he has gone away and probably looked in the mirror and reflected on himself because he is not that type of guy and it probably just spilled over.
'He is a really intelligent man who fits the values of this club, which is all about humility, class and he has all of that.
'He is a sheer winner and that probably overspilled last year but his development over the last year has been remarkable both on and off the field and Liverpool have benefited from that.
'For me he is the consistently outstanding player over the course of the last year.'
LUIS SUAREZ - WHAT A YEAR
2013
April 21 - Bites Branislav Ivanovic on the arm but escapes punishment on the pitch as the referee fails to see it, and scores Liverpool's equaliser seven minutes into stoppage time as they draw 2-2 with Chelsea at Anfield.
April 24 - Handed 10-game ban by an independent regulatory commission for biting Ivanovic, confirmed by the Football Association.
May 31 - Signals his intention to leave Liverpool.
August 6 - Repeats his desire to leave after a bid from Arsenal of £40,000,001 is turned down. Made to train away from the first team.
August 14 - Returns to first team and apologises for trying to leave.
September 25 - Makes his return from suspension in Liverpool's 1-0 Carling Cup defeat to rivals Manchester United.
December 15 - Scores twice in Liverpool's emphatic 5-0 victory over Tottenham at White Hart Lane.
December 20 - After scoring 17 goals since his return, signs a new long-term contract with the Reds.
December 29 - Jose Mourinho accuses Suarez of 'doing an acrobatic swimming pool jump to try get a penalty' during Liverpool's 2-1 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
2014
February 16 - Powerless to prevent Liverpool exiting the FA Cup in fifth round defeat to Arsenal.
March 30 - Scores in the Reds' 4-0 humiliation of Tottenham at Anfield. The win sees Liverpool move to the top of the Premier League table.
April 18 - Nominated alongside Liverpool team-mates Steven Gerrard and Daniel Sturridge for PFA Player of the Year award.
April 20 - Becomes the first Liverpool player since Ian Rush to score 30 goals in a Premier League season. Goal comes in Liverpool's 3-2 victory over Norwich City at Carrow Road, a result which sends his side five points clear at the top of the league.
April 27 - Hours after Liverpool suffer a painful Premier League defeat to Chelsea, Suarez is named winner of the PFA Player of the Year award.
Close: Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, whose mistake proved costly against Chelsea, was on the shortlist
Knows where the net is: Daniel Sturridge has scored 20 goals for Brendan Rodgers' side this year
Suarez, who has terrorised Premier League defences all season, topped a six-man shortlist which also included his strike partner Sturridge, Reds captain Steven Gerrard, Man City's Yaya Toure, Chelsea wideman Eden Hazard and Southampton midfielder Adam Lallana.
Rather amusingly, Suarez, who travelled down to the ceremony at Grosvenor House in London after the Reds' 2-0 defeat at home to Chelsea earlier in the day walked into the room during comedian Kevin Bridge's set before the award was announced.
The funnyman appeared to let Suarez off though, joking: 'Are you confident Luis?'
All six nominees were named in the PFA's Premier League Team of the year, alongside Chelsea pair Petr Cech and Gary Cahill, Man City captain Vincent Kompany and full-back's Seamus Coleman and Luke Shaw of Everton and Southampton respectively.
However, having seen four players named in last year's selection, not one Manchester United star made this year's XI following a disastrous campaign which saw manager David Moyes lose his job last week.
It's the first time a Red Devils player has failed to make the Team of the Year since 1990.
Meanwhile, Liverpool had more reason to celebrate as Reds' defender Lucy Bronze won the Women's Player of the Year prize while team-mate Martha Harris scooped the Young Player award.
LIST OF PREVIOUS PFA PLAYER OF THE YEAR WINNERS
1973–74 Norman Hunter Leeds United
1974–75 Colin Todd Derby County
1975–76 Pat Jennings Tottenham Hotspur
1976–77 Andy Gray Aston Villa
1977–78 Peter Shilton Nottingham Forest
1978–79 Liam Brady Arsenal
1979–80 Liverpool FWA
1980–81 John Wark Ipswich Town
1981–82 Kevin Keegan Southampton
1982–83 Kenny Dalglish Liverpool
1983–84 Ian Rush Liverpool
1984–85 Peter Reid Everton
1985–86 Gary Lineker Everton
1986–87 Clive Allen Tottenham Hotspur
1987–88 John Barnes Liverpool
1988–89 Mark Hughes Man United
1989–90 David Platt Aston Villa
1990–91 Mark Hughes Man United
1991–92 Gary Pallister Man United
1992–93 Paul McGrath Aston Villa
1993–94 Eric Cantona Man United
1994–95 Alan Shearer Blackburn Rovers
1995–96 Les Ferdinand Newcastle United
1996–97 Alan Shearer Newcastle United
1997–98 Dennis Bergkamp Arsenal
1998–99 David Ginola Tottenham Hotspur
1999–2000 Roy Keane Man United
2000–01 Teddy Sheringham Man United
2001–02 Ruud van Nistelrooy Man United
2002–03 Thierry Henry Arsenal
2003–04 Thierry Henry Arsenal
2004–05 John Terry Chelsea
2005–06 Steven Gerrard Liverpool
2006–07 Cristiano Ronaldo Man United
2007–08 Cristiano Ronaldo Man United
2008–09 Ryan Giggs Man United
2009–10 Wayne Rooney Man United
2010–11 Gareth Bale Tottenham Hotspur
2011–12 Robin van Persie Arsenal
2012–13 Gareth Bale Tottenham Hotspur
Double delight: Gareth Bale won both the Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards last year
In the running: Chelsea's attacking midfielder Eden Hazard was on the six-man shortlist
Outside bet: Southampton captain Adam Lallana has had a superb season in behind the striker
Quality on the ball: Yaya Toure has been brilliant for Manchester City yet again this campaign
Post a Comment