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Cape Town - In the past Luis Suarez has made the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
In the 2010 SWC he made a deliberate handball save of Dominic Adiyiah’s goal bound header and was quoted after the game saying, "Mine is the real 'Hand of God'. I made the save of the tournament."
In his first season of the English Premier League he was then involved in a racism saga with Manchester United player Patrice Evra and was banned for eight games. A season later he was involved in another debacle when he bit Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic and was given a ten match ban.
This past season has seen him win as many as nine awards including PFA Players' Player of the Year, European Golden Shoe, Barclays Player of the Season and Premier League Golden Boot. He also helped Liverpool to a second place finish in the league and guaranteed Champions League football next season. The Uruguayan now wants to fix his tarnished image and he reckons he has proved it since returning from his ban where he notched in 31 goals for his Anfield side.
"I want to change the bad boy image that has stuck for a bit because I don't think I am at all how I have been portrayed," Suarez told Sports Illustrated.
"I would like that to change because it's awful to hear and read what is said of you.
"On the field, sometimes passion overwhelms you and you do things you regret afterwards. At the same time, you have a chance to learn from those things.
"I think I [have] been a role model since last summer; I have been professional, and I have the desire to forge ahead and play well regardless of what is said to me.
"I've had some attitudes on the field that weren't very good for my image. But those weren't really me. Outside the field, I'm very shy.
"I realised I had to adjust my attitude on the field, to continue to play well but without the bad attitude."
In the 2010 SWC he made a deliberate handball save of Dominic Adiyiah’s goal bound header and was quoted after the game saying, "Mine is the real 'Hand of God'. I made the save of the tournament."
In his first season of the English Premier League he was then involved in a racism saga with Manchester United player Patrice Evra and was banned for eight games. A season later he was involved in another debacle when he bit Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic and was given a ten match ban.
This past season has seen him win as many as nine awards including PFA Players' Player of the Year, European Golden Shoe, Barclays Player of the Season and Premier League Golden Boot. He also helped Liverpool to a second place finish in the league and guaranteed Champions League football next season. The Uruguayan now wants to fix his tarnished image and he reckons he has proved it since returning from his ban where he notched in 31 goals for his Anfield side.
"I want to change the bad boy image that has stuck for a bit because I don't think I am at all how I have been portrayed," Suarez told Sports Illustrated.
"I would like that to change because it's awful to hear and read what is said of you.
"On the field, sometimes passion overwhelms you and you do things you regret afterwards. At the same time, you have a chance to learn from those things.
"I think I [have] been a role model since last summer; I have been professional, and I have the desire to forge ahead and play well regardless of what is said to me.
"I've had some attitudes on the field that weren't very good for my image. But those weren't really me. Outside the field, I'm very shy.
"I realised I had to adjust my attitude on the field, to continue to play well but without the bad attitude."
