Former Liverpool striker Luis Suarez believes Steven Gerrard's slip against Chelsea which effectively cost the Reds the 2014 Premier League title was "destiny," but says he would never have been at Anfield that season if not for his relationship with the former captain.
Gerrard's midfield stumble allowed Demba Ba's opener in a critical 2-0 home loss to Chelsea in April 2014, damaging Liverpool's hopes for a first league crown in 24 years.
In an exclusive interview with ESPN FC, Suarez, who scored 31 goals and laid off 21 assists in 33 Premier League games that season, says while it was an unfortunate episode for the man he considers one of his best friends in football, the title was never meant to be Liverpool's.
"He is one of the best. In soccer it is difficult to make many friends, very complicated because everything that revolves around the sport. But he is one of the best because of all the support he gave me on a sporting level and through all the criticism I received in England, he didn't care and he always stood up for me in all the cases," the Barcelona man said.
"The racism, [Branislav] Ivanovic [bite], everything, he always showed me how I should treat a teammate, the club and everything. He convinced me to stay when I was close to signing with Arsenal.
"He told me to wait, that one of the best teams in Europe would come looking for me if you have a great season. That's one of the things I always remembered and he was right because then next year Barcelona came to sign me.
"I wish that we would have ended as champions. Things happened in the Chelsea game and, well, that's destiny. I definitely consider him one of my best friends in soccer because of what he meant to me on a personal level."