• Premier League

Suarez can emulate Dalglish - Rodgers

Brendan Rodgers has urged Luis Suarez to give the best years of his career to Liverpool and said he will establish himself as an Anfield legend if he does.

Suarez scored four goals, three of them spectacular, in Liverpool's 5-1 win over Norwich on Wednesday to take his tally to the season to 13.

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And it brought some comparisons with Kenny Dalglish, who is widely regarded as Liverpool's greatest ever player. But while Rodgers believes his predecessor as manager still deserves that mantle, he feels the prolific Uruguayan has the potential to join the Scot in the pantheon of Liverpool legends.

"There's no doubt that this club has been blessed with a No. 7 like Kenny, the greatest player this club has had," Rodgers said. "I think if Luis Suarez stays here for his career, he is certainly going to challenge that, there's no question about that. If he is going to be here a long time, he has a great chance of establishing himself as one of the greats of this football club.

Suarez tried to leave Liverpool last summer but Rodgers is confident that the striker is more content at the club now and believes it is the right place for him.

"It is just a feel, just an inkling of where he is at in his life," Rodgers said. "Through my regular conversations with him, he seems happy. I don't think there is a clearer benchmark than on the field. His behaviour, his mannerisms, his maturity and his performance level tells me he is very happy here at Liverpool and in the Premier League. He is playing remarkably well, consistently well, and that's what gives me confidence.

"Hopefully he feels he is vindicated for staying. This is the perfect club for him. The whole profile suits Luis down to the ground and hopefully in the coming years he can achieve everything he wants to achieve which is to play at the top level of the game. His talent deserves that and this is a club that deserves that."

Arsenal infamously bid £40,000,001 for Suarez in the summer and asked how much he is worth now, Rodgers quipped: "He is about 40 million and two pounds now."

When looking for a comparison for Suarez's display against Norwich, Rodgers said he had to hark back 20 years to a match where another player scored more than once in such spectacular style.

"I was trying to think back to a game where a player scores a couple of goals like that and the game that hits me was Matt Le Tissier for Southampton against Newcastle at the The Dell [in 1993], he scored two absolutely brilliant years and it stuck with me," Rodgers said.

"Last night [Wednesday] was the first time we got three goals in a game like that, so different but absolutely brilliant finishes. He deserves all the acclaim he gets. It was a wonderful performance."

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