Liverpool have had some amazing strikers throughout the Premier League years alone.
The Reds currently boast their top scorer since the division’s inception in 1992. Mohamed Salah has eclipsed all others.
Of course, football didn’t begin 32 years ago though, and the club’s history is littered with players who have made finding the back of the net and art form.
One of those has been Luis Suarez, who won the Golden Boot with the Reds back in 2014.
That was the culmination of three-and-a-half excellent seasons with Liverpool, in which Suarez became one of the world’s most lethal scorers. According to one former Man City player though, he wasn’t all that special.
Joelon Lescott makes Luis Suarez claim
Suarez will go down as one of the best strikers of all time. His time alongside Lionel Messi and Neymar at Barcelona will ensure that.
However, the Uruguayan’s stint at Liverpool should not be overlooked as part of that story. Suarez plundered 82 goals in 133 games for the Reds. As a result, the likes of Neal Maupay have hailed him as the Premier League’s greatest ever player.
That he scored 61 in his final 81 matches is worth pointing out, too. As he grew into his prime at Anfield, Suarez become unstoppable.
Nevertheless, not everyone sees the now Inter Miami striker in that light. Speaking on Football’s Greatest With Jeff Stelling, former Man City centre-back Joleon Lescott omitted Suarez from his top five toughest opponents.
Press on why by host Jeff Stelling, Lescott claimed that he was simply ‘never nervous’ when facing the Uruguay international.
“Nah, didn’t get the Luis Suarez…” the former England man trailed off. “Like, as good as he is and as good as he’s been, I never got nervous playing against Luis Suarez.
“I think he was great for Liverpool, but I think he was great-er for Barcelona,” Lescott added. “And I think that kind of gives him a bigger platform. Doing what he did for Barcelona was pretty impressive.”
Lescott barking up the wrong tree with Suarez
This really is quite the claim from Lescott. Obviously, we’ve never played against Suarez and so his feelings when coming up against the former Ajax man are valid.
It is also worth pointing out that Liverpool’s former No.7 did only score once against Man City in six appearances.
Lescott was at City throughout Suarez’s time with the Reds and will have featured in some of those games.
Having said that though, to suggest that Luis was not all that while at Liverpool is simply wrong.
He may have hit greater heights in Spain, but Suarez was unbelievable for two seasons. His final year at Liverpool was one of the best individual years the Premier League has ever seen.
Perhaps he didn’t give Lescott nightmares, but he’s about the only one he didn’t.