Luis Suarez has revealed for the first time that he expected to play alongside Fernando Torres when he signed for Liverpool in the January transfer window.
In an exclusive interview with Goal.com UK, Suarez said it was "a shame" that Torres joined Chelsea but insists he is not concerned about Liverpool losing more of their top players. Suarez conducted the interview at Melwood during a promotion for the adidas adiZero F50 range of boots.
The Uruguayan striker, who signed from Ajax in a £22.8 million deal, also revealed his desire for Kenny Dalglish to remain as Liverpool manager beyond this season and spoke about his decision to move to Anfield despite interest from top clubs across Europe.
Torres joined Chelsea in a £50m deal on the final day of the winter transfer window, just two days after Suarez passed a medical to complete his move to Anfield – and the 24-year-old admits he did not expect the Spaniard to leave the club.
“Yes, it's true I expected to play with Fernando,” Suarez told Goal.com UK. “Fernando is a very good player. He's got great quality and it would have been nice to play with him.
“It's a shame that he's gone as he is an excellent player and has great qualities. But at the same time there are many other great players at Liverpool.
“When one top player goes, perhaps another great player comes in.”
Torres' departure allowed the Reds to complete a £35m swoop for Andy Carroll but speculation has increased over the future of goalkeeper Pepe Reina, who has suggested he may also seek a transfer.
Suarez believes it is inevitable that footballers may want to move on and is concentrating only on building a partnership with Carroll and improving under the guidance of Liverpool great Dalglish.
When asked whether he is worried about other players following Torres out of Anfield, Suarez replied: “This really is an issue for the club, not for me personally.
“Football is a game that changes on a daily basis so these things are going to happen. I just work hard to play for Liverpool.
"Carroll and Torres are very different players. Andy has had an injury and he's just starting to come back into the game. They have different qualities and ways of playing the game, so you can't really make comparisons.
"They have different styles - one might be better at one thing and the other better at something else. Andy is a big, strong player with many qualities and it will be exciting to play with him.
“Having a manager like Kenny Dalglish is really great for me. He is a person of great history and importance at the club. He's one of the best players the club has ever had and now he's correcting me and training me.
“I think it's really great for me to work with a legend such as Kenny and I have enjoyed it so far.”
When asked whether he wanted Dalglish to remain Liverpool manager, Suarez responded: “Yes, of course. I'm looking forward to working with him more in the future.”
Suarez has become an instant hero on the Kop after a highly impressive start to life on Merseyside and starred as he produced two assists in the 3-1 win over rivals Manchester United earlier this month.
Liverpool landed one of the hottest properties in Europe in Suarez, who had attracted interest from the likes of the Reds and Manchester United after scoring 49 goals in all competitions last season.
And the former Groningen and Nacional forward is satisfied he has made the right long-term decision for his career, despite the fact Liverpool sit sixth in the Premier League and may not even qualify for Europe next term.
He added: “I think you have to take hold of the opportunities in the moment and go with them. The opportunity to join Liverpool was there for me in January.
“I was aware of interest from other clubs but Liverpool trusted in me and they were the only ones who specifically asked Ajax to sign me.
“They wanted me a lot and that's why I decided to go with the decision in January. I didn't want to wait until the summer.”
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