Uruguayan legend Luis Suarez has a track record that few in the history of football can live up to, but at the age of 35, is finding it tricky to secure a team ahead of the new season.
Seemingly there has been interest from Latin American sides, which Suarez has turned down as he intends on staying in European football. On Wednesday morning he was also linked with a move to Serie A.
However that hasn’t stopped the former Barcelona forward being linked with a move to Major League Soccer in the USA too. The latest contender to emerge was DC United, who have recently appointed Wayne Rooney as their manager. The former England captain was clear in his response to the rumours though.
🗣 “I respect Luis Suárez a lot.”
Wayne Rooney on Luis Suárez potentially signing for DC United. 🇺🇾 pic.twitter.com/tw2YPQCAj5
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) July 13, 2022
“I respect Luis Suarez a lot – he’s an incredible player – but what I want players who are hungry. I want players to come to this club who are hungry and who want to come to the club but also have a lot to give and are capable of playing every game, attending every training session. So we’re working extremely hard to identify the right profile of players we want to bring in and I’m sure in the near future, we’ll have an announcement to make on new signings.”
While it is understandable that Rooney may want players who are fighting to take the next step in their careers rather than those closer to the final one, it must be one of the first times that Suarez’s hunger has been questioned.
Although it’s true Suarez cannot provide the level of pressing and harrying he once did, he has not lost the goalscoring touch. Just one season removed from being the decisive factor in Atletico Madrid’s title victory, Suarez still scored 13 goals with reduced minutes last season.
Suarez would be an excellent addition to any MLS team, and I would be a payer to see him in person. I cut my teeth on NASL soccer watching, in person, Johan Cruyff and Neeskins for example. World renown stars are what has always made American soccer interesting and brings eyeball to the league. I would also like to see Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo some day in MLS. The hard working and hungry young players Rooney is looking for are also important, but they will have the ambition of leaving the MLS, which is at best a feeder league for Europe.
I watched Cruyff too. The good old Diplomats and Comsos days.