Suarez prefers Anfield crowd to Barcelona, says Enrique

Jose Enrique has said Luis Suarez preferred playing in front of the Liverpool crowd more than his current fans at Barcelona.

Valencia-born Enrique, who played with Suarez at Anfield, has said that Anfield is a special place and has no doubts that the Uruguay no. 9 would much prefer to play in front of the adoring Anfield crowd rather than the hoards in Catalonia.

Speaking on a podcast with The Anfield Wrap, Enrique, 34, who has now retired, said: “What am I going to say to a player that wants to go to Liverpool?

“There is no better place to go to. The situation at the club right now is unbelievable. There is no better place to go to.

“Okay, everyone can talk about Real Madrid and Barcelona. Yeah, maybe you can think about them because of the weather in Spain and the food. But in terms of how much you want to enjoy as a player, talking about being a player in Madrid or Barcelona or in Liverpool you cannot compare I believe.

“I believe if you ask, for example, Suarez, yeah obviously in Barcelona he is playing with the best player in history, [Lionel] Messi, and winning things as well. But if you ask him about where he enjoyed more as a player playing and I am sorry it was in Anfield with Liverpool.

“You know why because I remember some games where they were singing his song for 60 minutes of the game. It was unbelievable.

“Then you go to Barcelona. I went to see him play against Juventus there a few years ago when Neymar was still on the team. I remember them singing “Messi, Messi” maybe twice in 90 minutes and you think wow in Liverpool they sing about Andy Robertson, Virgil van Dijk, Alisson, Jurgen Klopp.

“They have like 20 songs for every player they are still singing about ex-players to Stevie, to Luis Garcia. Every game so much. Fans they sing it and are happy to do it but as a player inside how you feel when you hear this is unbelievable.”

Enrique, who underwent surgery to remove a brain tumour, has also revealed how Alberto Moreno got him a ticket with the Reds fans for Liverpool’s Champions League semi-final, first-leg defeat against Barcelona at the Camp Nou last season.

“I was seeing a lot of Liverpool fans, a lot of Liverpool fans were stopping me and taking pictures and everything,” he added.

“To be honest I loved it. The fans were great, so respectful as well because it was the first time they were seeing me after my operation as well so people were coming to me but not jumping or anything like that they were really respectful and saying ‘I hope you’re well’. It was an amazing, amazing experience for me.

“I remember after the game I went to the hotel because obviously the players they stay overnight.

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“I told them about it. Dejan Lovren, Henderson, Alberto, we were talking about it they were saying ‘He put you there?’ We were all laughing about it but I said I loved it.

“It was a really nice experience and the fans were great with me.”