Liverpool secured the signing of Luis Suarez from Ajax during the January transfer window and the deal was completed on January 31, 2011.
Uruguay international Suarez has a reputation for being one of the deadliest marksmen in Europe and is among a select few to have plundered more than a century of goals during his time at the Amsterdam Arena.
His impressive partnership with Diego Forlan was a feature of his country’s march to fourth place in the 2010 World Cup finals where he notched three goals in six appearances.
However, his superb performances were later somewhat overshadowed by a controversial goal-line handball that saw him sent off in the dying seconds of extra-time in their quarter-final clash with Ghana.
Suarez is a huge hero in his homeland and is largely revered for his desire to see his country progress, not to mention his ability to score important goals on the big stage.
His rise to stardom began in Uruguay’s top flight when he made a vibrant start to his career with Nacional.
In his time with the Tricolores he struck 12 goals in 29 appearances and helped them to lift the Primera Division title in 2006.
The teenager’s eye for goal immediately caught the attention of some of Europe’s top scouts and he made the move to Dutch side Groningen, where he continued to find the net on a regular basis.
Having made his mark on the Eredivisie, he was handed an international debut on February 8, 2007 in a 3-1 win over Colombia. Unfortunately, his big day was ruined when he was dismissed for a second yellow card five minutes from time.
Despite this, it was clear that he was capable of performing at the highest level and no one was surprised when Ajax swooped to secure his signature in a big money move back in August 2007.
His time with de Godenzonen was a mix of genius and controversy as his superb strike-rate was only marred slightly by his knack for picking up unnecessary cautions.
In his first season he managed 20 goals in 40 appearances and continued to excel the following year, picking up Ajax’s player of the year gong.
The 2009-10 campaign would get even better as he helped the Dutch giants to the KNVB Cup whilst firing 49 goals in all competitions to become the Eredivisie’s top scorer. It also saw him crowned Dutch Player of the Year as well as Ajax’s main man for the second year running.
His fine form continued into the World Cup and speculation became rife that he could move on to pastures new at the beginning of 2010-11.
A transfer was not forthcoming, though, and his effort in a 1-1 draw with PAOK in the Champions League third qualifying round ensured his name would stand alongside the likes of Johan Cruyff and Marco Van Basten when he joined a select few to have notched 100 goals for Ajax.
However, a controversial incident involving PSV Eindhoven’s Otman Bakkalsaw saw him banned for seven matches and it was clear his career was now at a crossroads.
A move abroad looked on the cards and in the 2011 January transfer window Ajax reached an agreement with Liverpool.
http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/team/first-team/player/7-luis-suarez
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