Redknapp wants award for consistent Suarez
Former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp is of little doubt that Luis Suarez should be named footballer of the year at end of the season.
By FOX SPORTS staff
With 22 goals in 28 Premier League games so far in this campaign, Suarez leads the race for the Golden Boot award in England's top flight.
His outstanding performances have been integral in Liverpool's climb up to sixth place in the league table, but he remains a dark horse for the individual end-of-season accolades.
In a column for the Daily Mail, Redknapp pointed out that no other player has managed to match Suarez's consistency this season.
"I don't think the vote should be in any question. He IS the Footballer of the Year. This award is for the player of the season, not for a player of the last two months. That should rule out Gareth Bale, who has been sensational, but only since Spurs drew at Norwich on January 30. It is a run of 10 goals in 10 games and he has carried his team into the top three, but is that enough?" he questioned.
"Robin van Persie has scored only once in the last nine games (it was nine in the previous nine before then) after an explosive start to his time at Manchester United."
"Suarez has been Liverpool's Mr Incredible: consistently brilliant, with 29 goals in 39 games. He is playing with a team still developing and has dragged them through the season. Can you imagine where Liverpool might be without his goals and his explosive performances?"
The former England international believed it would be a shame if Suarez's persistency and talent was not honoured at the end of the campaign.
"The improvisation for his goal against Tottenham was typical of the man, catching Hugo Lloris by surprise by taking his shot early, but what I like most about him as how he makes things happen. Some strikers wait for chances, they wait for the killer ball, but Suarez goes hunting for the ball. When Liverpool were trailing 2-1 to Spurs, he was taking the throw-ins and trying to get them going," Redknapp noted.
"If he doesn't win the players award, then surely he must win the journalists' vote. If we are recognising brilliance, he has to win one of the awards, doesn't he?"
Liverpool travel to Southampton for their Premier League game this Saturday.