Rodgers claims Suarez is Liverpool's Messi

ESPN staff

January 3, 2013

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Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has handed striker Luis Suarez the ultimate praise, comparing the Uruguayan to Lionel Messi.

Suarez, 25, scored a brace in the Reds' 3-0 win over Sunderland on Wednesday, taking his season tally to 15 goals.

After warning new recruit Daniel Sturridge that he must prove himself immediately at Anfield, Rodgers hailed Suarez's impact this season.

"His cleverness finds the space in the fluid system we play," Rodgers said. "It will be fantastic to see him develop. There's a lot more to come.

"I was talking with Harry the morning after our game and we just agreed Suarez is a Messi-type character.

"He's got the same enthusiasm. He's another guy who can't get enough football. When I gave him a break at the start of the season he didn't want it.

"He didn't want a breather. He is a player that has to play two or three times a week to be on top of his game - one game is no good to him.

"He needs to be playing and you see the response you get from him. His work has never dropped. He is a real team player and trains every day.

"He is never in the treatment room and he comes out and peforms every time. As the ball moves he finds the spaces and it's so difficult to mark him."

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