• Premier League

Suarez better than Torres - Gerrard

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has told ESPN that Luis Suarez is the best player he has played alongside at the club and that the Uruguayan will be the key to finishing in the top four.

Gerrard has overseen an impressive start to the Premier League season at Anfield, with the club in third place, tied on 20 points for second place with Chelsea and ahead of Tottenham on goal difference.

The Reds lost 2-0 to leaders Arsenal recently to derail their charge somewhat, but with Suarez back in the fold after completing his eight-match ban at the start of the season, Gerrard is confident that they can continue to improve.

Suarez has been in the spotlight again this season, having been the subject of a transfer wrangle with the Gunners over the summer. However, Gerrard was in no doubt how important the Uruguayan is to the Liverpool cause when asked whether he was the best to have pulled on a Liverpool shirt during his time there.

"Yes. Simple. He's out on his own," Gerrard told ESPN. "The only player who comes close to producing what Luis produced in a red shirt is Fernando Torres... but Luis just pipped him for me."

In the last transfer window, Gerrard admitted he worried every day that Suarez would join Arsenal - who eventually turned their attentions to Mesut Ozil instead after having a bid of £40,000,001 rejected. Asked if he would feel the same in the January window, Gerrard insisted that he would be calmer about his teammates' future this time around.

"I don't feel like that about January," he added. "January will be different because I think Luis is committed.

"I think he is happy. I think he is pleased with the decision he has made to stay around. He is in good form. The team are playing well so I think January won't be a problem. But come the summer, I think depending how Liverpool have done will determine what goes through Luis' mind."

After a great start to the 2013-14 campaign, Liverpool have aspirations of finishing in contention for the Champions League spots at the end of the season and Gerrard insisted that the Uruguayuan was the man who could make it happen.

"He is the key," he added. "His goals, his performance and his form will be the key whether we finish in the top four or not."

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