Gerrard lauds departing Suarez

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has paid tribute to Barcelona-bound Luis Suarez, labelling the striker “an amazing talent”.

It was announced on Friday that Liverpool and Barca had agreed a deal thought to be in the region of £75million for the Uruguay star, who will sign a five-year contract after undergoing a medical at Camp Nou next week.

Suarez enjoyed a superb season in 2013-14, with his 31 goals in just 33 Premier League outings firing Liverpool to the brink of the title.

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers spoke of his sadness at seeing Suarez leave Anfield, and skipper Gerrard has echoed his manager’s sentiments in a post on his Instagram profile.

“On an emotional day for me would just like to say what a pleasure it has been playing with an amazing talent such as Luis,” wrote the 34-year-old.

“I would like to thank him for his outstanding contribution on the pitch during his time @liverpoolfc and to wish him and his family all the best on his new adventure in Spain #lfclegend.”

Suarez, who is currently serving a four-month global ban after he bit Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini at the FIFA World Cup, scored 82 goals in 133 appearances for Liverpool.