Suarez goes from zero to a hero

Liverpool striker takes prestigious FWA award to snare rare double

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez completed his redemption from outcast to hero when he was named England's Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers' Association on Monday.

The prestigious honor completes an award double after he was named the Professional Footballers' Association player of the year last month.

The 27-year-old Uruguayan finished ahead of teammate Steven Gerrard and Manchester City's Yaya Toure in the poll of England's soccer writers and the honor follows an astonishing turnaround for Suarez who began this season serving the remainder of a 10-match ban imposed for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic last April.

Although he missed the first five games of the season, the controversial striker, who will play against Gerrard and England in the World Cup in Brazil next month, leads the Premier League with 30 goal, with two matches remaining.

His goals have sustained Liverpool's Premier League title challenge as the Anfield Club sits behind leader Manchester City on goal difference with two matches remaining.

Suarez polled 52 percent of the vote of about 300 members. Last year he polled two votes.

"He only received two votes last season, although there was a groundswell of support for him, but our voting opened just 12 hours after the biting incident at Anfield, so that was taken into account," FWA chairman Andy Dunn Dunn told Sky Sports,

The FWA award is not only based on a player's achievements on the pitch, but also on behavior and example throughout the season.

"While nobody would say Suarez is whiter than white, you have to say his behavior throughout this season has been very good," Dunn said.

"I think the football writers have taken that into account. There is an element of redemption - allied with those 30 goals and the sensational talent he has displayed all season. It has made him a very popular choice."

Suarez becomes the 10th Liverpool player to win the award and one of their previous winners, Ian Rush, praised manager Brendan Rodgers for the way he handled a difficult period at the start of the season after Suarez tried to engineer a move in the offseason.

"He was training by himself, but once he apologized the manager welcomed him back and said you are one of the players now," Rush said. "The manager could have handled it differently, but he didn't and Suarez has repaid him."

Rush, who was Footballer of the Year in 1984, also praised Suarez for his work rate, saying he had a huge influence on the Liverpool team attempting to win the title for the first time since 1990.

"He has been absolutely incredible with the amount of goals he has got and the assists he has got," said Rush.

"But more important is the hard work he has put in. I think he has made a big difference to Liverpool's players, not just himself."

Liverpool's Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez celebrates scoring the team's third goal during its EPL match against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Monday. AFP

(China Daily 05/07/2014 page24)