Luis Suarez Claims English Press Miss Him, Talks Up Barcelona Future

Barcelona forward Luis Suarez left Liverpool during the summer of 2014 amid a cloud of controversy, and according to the Uruguay international, the English press are still looking for ways to use him, even suggesting they miss him now that he's gone.

Speaking to beIN Sports (h/t AS' Santi Gimenez), the 28-year-old said he left the Premier League because he had grown tired of the way the English press works, but even now that he lives in Barcelona, they still won't leave him alone:

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I don’t know if there is a campaign of the English press toward me, but it can be seen that they miss me. They criticise me so much that they look for something that is not there to draw attention. They published images of me (playing next to Demichelis) in the morning and when they saw that that was false those images disappeared off the pages. I said enough, and that they leave me alone, and that I went because I was tired of them, but yet they are still looking [for me].

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The prolific striker has always been a popular subject for reporters, combining incredible ability on the pitch with an explosive character that has landed him in hot water on several occasions.

The last incident came on the biggest stage of all, when he bit Italy's Giorgio Chiellini during the 2014 World Cup, via Sky Sports. At the time the media went berserk, and it ultimately led to his sale to Barcelona. As shared by Barcastuff, the move has worked out quite well so far:

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With 13 goals and 13 assists, Luis Suarez has been directly involved in 26 goals in his 26 games for Barcelona #fcblive

— barcastuff (@barcastuff) March 10, 2015"

Suarez was by far Liverpool's most important player last season, winning the Golden Boot and nearly firing the Reds to the Premier League title. With the squad struggling out of the gate in 2014-15, it's only natural his name kept popping up in the papers.

But for all of the controversy and the negative press, it still seems as if Suarez truly loved his time in England and will have no regrets he spent such a long time with the club. Per the Liverpool Echo, he's even spurning an international friendly just to appear in a charity match at Anfield:

Suarez was suspended for the first few months of the 2014-15 campaign and looked a little rusty when he returned to the pitch, but he's gradually been adapting to Barcelona's intricate system and has improved his play with every passing match.

He found the target twice during Barcelona's 6-1 demolition of Rayo Vallecano last Sunday, combining with Lionel Messi as if the duo had been playing together for years. Bleacher Report's Karl Matchett was thoroughly impressed with what he was seeing:

Things are going well for Suarez, and he acknowledged during the interview that he's happy with the Catalans and never panicked when things didn't start off the way he had planned:

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I am very happy at Barça, I fulfilled a dream to play at the best club in the world and now I am enjoying it. I am contributing things to the team and that leaves me calmer and makes me feel important.

[...] There came a time in which I created chances to score and missed them, but that did not worry for me. I am very self-critical with myself above all when I saw that I was not helping the team both in good work and with assists and goals. But when I didn’t score and I helped the team and I felt important, well, there I remained very calm.

[...]The family are very happy in Barcelona and enjoying a city that we knew. The children are in the school and my wife is very happy.

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The Blaugrana will host Manchester City in the Champions League round of 16 on Wednesday, March 18 defending a 2-1 lead from the first leg, and judging by the form of the top attackers, they should feel confident in their chances of advancing.

Luis Enrique's squad is on fire, and Suarez is no exception. As reported by WhoScored.com, he has scored six goals and added another assist in his last four appearances, which are fantastic numbers that should have just about any defence trembling in fear.

Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe ranks the Blaugrana second in his latest Champions League Power Rankings, sitting just behind Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, and their chances of winning the tournament will hinge greatly on the play of their star striker:

The Catalans have a number of vital fixtures coming up in the following weeks, including a Clasico against rivals Real Madrid, and if Suarez's latest comments are any indication, the Uruguayan is already relishing the challenge.

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