Suarez special, says Poyet

Gus Poyet said Uruguay star Luis Suarez would require ‘extra attention’ at the FIFA World Cup.

Suarez’s Uruguay have been drawn in Group D in Brazil, up against Costa Rica, England and Italy, and Poyet – a former Uruguayan international of 26 caps – said his countryman would be dangerous.

Even though the English side would be all too aware of Suarez’s powers after his stunning season for Liverpool that spawned 31 Premier League goals in 33 games, the Sunderland boss said Uruguay’s rivals must focus their attention on the talented forward.

“You need to pay extra attention, because he’s special,” Poyet said.

“You need to look after him in a different way because if you leave him one-v-one they don’t know if the ball is going to go past them, you look one way, then the ball has past, I don’t know how but it’s gone. If you don’t cover, he’s a special player.”

Suarez came in for criticism for bawling when Liverpool slipped up at Crystal Palace late in the season to concede the title to Manchester City, but Poyet put this down to the 27-year-old’s will to win.

“He’s devastated,” Poyet said.

“He plays to win and ‘win’ means to win the league. And he didn’t.

“And the pictures that you saw are him. He is not about money any more.

“It’s just because you are on the pitch and you are so close and you want to win it.”

Poyet also alluded to one of Suarez’s infamous moments in his career at the 2010 World Cup, when the Uruguayan deliberately handled a goal-bound shot in their quarter-final with Ghana.

Suarez’s action saw him concede a penalty and receive a red card, however it also saved a certain goal, and when Asamoah Gyan missed the spot-kick, Uruguay went on to advance via a shootout.

Poyet said Suarez did not cheat in the eyes of the Uruguayans, merely he went to extreme lengths to give his team the chance to progress.

“You take it as a last-man red card, fine. What I mean with this is I know it was massive in England, I know,” he said.

“But it’s like a surprise for us. He saved it. He was sent off. It was a penalty. It’s true.

“It’s worse for us when you do something that no-one sees, like punching someone.

“But a handball on the goal line is a handball on the goal line.”