Determined Suarez ready to change image
A determined Luis Suarez will be prepared to change his image ahead of Liverpool’s Carling Cup final encounter with Cardiff City, according to his former Ajax team manager Herman Pinkster.
The Reds travel to Wembley hoping to pick up their first piece of silverware since 2006, with the Uruguayan international expected to start against the Championship outfit.
Suarez's career in England to date has been engulfed in controversy, recently returning from an eight-game ban after racially abusing Manchester United full-back Patrice Evra, before refusing to shake the Frenchman's hand when the pair met at Old Trafford.
The 25-year-old has been booed from all quarters since, and is expected to be greeted by a chorus of jeers by the Bluebirds' faithful on Sunday.
However, Pinkster believes the abuse Suarez will receive at Wembley will inspire the Uruguay international to change the mind of his critics.
"Luis is someone who values loyalty more than money, I believe the internal support for Luis at Liverpool has been strong and he will never forget that," Pinkster said in the Telegraph.
"Luis will know it was not such a wise decision not to shake Patrice Evra's hand. He will want to change people's opinion of him.
"I see a different perspective than others. He will be even more determined to show everyone his football skills.
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"When he makes his mind up about something, he sticks to it. That is what happened when he was determined to leave Ajax and move to England and his ambition then was to improve himself and become and even better player.
"Outside of football he is one of the greatest guys I have ever met. He is so determined on the pitch and sometimes it is that determined that is a problem for him."
Nick Moore is a freelance journalist based on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. He wrote his first FourFourTwo feature in 2001 about Gerard Houllier's cup-treble-winning Liverpool side, and has continued to ink his witty words for the mag ever since. Nick has produced FFT's 'Ask A Silly Question' interview for 16 years, once getting Peter Crouch to confess that he dreams about being a dwarf.