Luis Suárez: 'We have an appealing month ahead'

A few weeks ago saw the fifth anniversary of the debut of Luis Suárez, who is the fourth top scorer in the history of Barça with 185 goals. He's currently only nine away from Ladislau Kubala, the third on the podium. The forward reviews his five years at Barça in an interview with the club media, his friendship with Leo Messi and the immediate future for the first team, an end to the year with some with exciting games expected.

His arrival at Barça

"The other day, whilst I was looking at photos with my wife, we found one from 2004 in which we were in Barcelona on vacation and I stood next to a giant image of Ronaldinho. For me, then, playing at Barça was something very distant."

"Having arrived at Barça and having achieved what I have achieved, both at a personal and team level, is something I never imagined."

Fourth top scorer in history

"I'm proud to be in the top-5 scorers at the best club in the world; a club that has so much history."

"When I arrived at Barça, I fulfilled a dream. I wanted to enjoy being with my teammates, but I didn't even think I would get to this level."

"I've been scoring goals consistently, I was the top scorer in the 2015/16 season. It's true that, little by little, you approach historical scorers."

"You have to give value to the goals, because they are not easy. Neither for Kubala, nor for Samitier, nor for Leo, nor for me."

Most important goal?

"I've scored 185 and it's difficult to choose one. Of the recent ones, I remember especially last season, at the Camp Nou in the league, against Atlético Madrid."

"The one against Sevilla the other week was a good one, and also the one I scored against Inter, with a pass from Arturo Vidal... Scoring them at the Camp Nou also makes them feel special."

Debut in 2014

"They were days with a lot of nerves. Even today I am still nervous in some games. Well imagine then, for my first game with Barça, it's at the Bernabéu!"

"I hadn't played for a while, I was lacking in rhythm, and nervous to think what would happen if a pass failed... But I had enormous support from Luis Enrique, who spoke with me before coming to Barcelona and who trusted me, just like my team-mates."

The figure of Luis Enrique

"He has been one of the most important coaches of my career because of how he has affected me with his personality and his way of being. He is a very sincere coach. He gave me the confidence to come to Barça after a difficult moment for me at World Cup 2014."

"I wanted to dedicate the goal. It was a miniscule detail that I could devote to him and his family. Xana [Luis Enrique's daughter] was a great fan of Barça."

Friendship with Leo Messi

"Messi has helped me a lot in my personal growth. We had an affinity from the beginning. From coexistence came friendship, and the moments I spent with him also helped on the pitch."

"Everyone knows that he is the best in the world. He has proven it and continues to prove it day after day."

"He has shown me his companionship a thousand times. He helped me when I was fighting for the Golden Boot as I was too. The other day, at Eibar, he gave me a goal."

The immediate future

"A very nice month is ahead. We like those, both as footballers and also people. There will be a clásico too..."

"You have to be mentally and physically prepared. Maybe we won't win every game or have it easy, but we hope to do our best with the support of the fans."

"We have not had a simple league start. We gave away points that in other years we hadn't lost, but we know that other teams are also competing well."

The requirement of a Barça No.9

"Football players experience constant pressure, and for that we have to be prepared to perform at our maximum every two, three or four days."

"When you join Barça you expect to win titles, but there are also difficult moments that help you grow and improve."

The connection with the public

"People know that I never give up a lost ball, never stop trying. They value the work I put in, in every game."

"Their support shows a lot, and that's very important for all players."