Rodgers questions Suarez dignity

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has urged Luis Suarez to show “dignity” after the striker spoke publicly of his desire to leave the club.

The Uruguay international released a public statement on Tuesday which claimed the Anfield side had reneged on their promise to sell him to a UEFA Champions League club for £40million.

Arsenal last month lodged a bid believed to be just £1 over the figure believed necessary to trigger that clause but were knocked back by Liverpool – who have interpreted Suarez’s contract differently.

And Rodgers has now insisted he will not stand for the striker’s attempts to engineer a departure from the Merseyside club.

“I will take strong, decisive action, absolutely. There has been total disrespect of the club – this is a lack of respect of a club that has given him everything. Absolutely everything,” he said.

“There were no promises made – categorically none – and no promises broken. Obviously, the remarks I’ve read, it is bitterly disappointing – but my job is bigger than that. My job is to fight and protect the club.

“In terms of the remarks that were made, this is a football club that has always worked a certain way.

“The Liverpool way is all about a club with ambition, a club that strives to be the very best, a club that is about commitment – that means everyone is committed to the cause of fighting for the shirt.

“It’s also about dignity and being dignified in how you speak about the club, on and off the field, and it’s about unity.

“Those are the four values that run through my mind when I think about Liverpool. Those are the values we will always retain. If anyone steps outside of that standard, I will deal with it. That’s something that we’ll do.

“It means that we have a standard at Liverpool that I will fight for my life to retain. There will never be any player or person bigger than the club.”

The Northern Irishman also dismissed all knowledge of the reported buy-out clause in Suarez’s contract, and reiterated that Liverpool will not be forced into a sale.

“The reality is we don’t want to sell Luis Suarez, it’s as simple as that. He is important for what we are trying to do. There have been a couple of offers but no promises broken – that’s the reality,” he added.

“I don’t believe there is a clause in his contract that says he can leave for any sort of price. I will deal with it.

“We can understand if he wants to play in the Champions League – but that doesn’t mean we’ve broken any promise.

“What we are trying to do now is get the correct value for a player, but we know we don’t have to sell him.”