Thursday 26 June 2014 15:44, UK
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers will be feeling "choked" after the latest controversy to engulf striker Luis Suarez, according to former England midfielder Ray Wilkins.
Suarez has seen disciplinary proceedings initiated against him by FIFA after he appeared to bite Giorgio Chiellini in Uruguay’s 1-0 win against Italy in Natal on Tuesday.
Liverpool now face an anxious wait over potential FIFA sanctions against Suarez as world football’s governing body has the power to impose a blanket ban covering football both at club and international level.
And Wilkins believes Rodgers and Liverpool have every right to feel let down by their star striker after standing by the 26-year-old when he bit Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic at Anfield last year.
"The people I really feel sorry for are the Brendan Rodgers' of this world and Liverpool Football Club," Wilkins told Sky Sports News.
"I would have thought he is absolutely choked because of what he did for him last year. He put himself on the line for him as well, as did Liverpool Football Club when he bit into Ivanovic.
"Liverpool have really put themselves out for him. What they did for him last year was nothing short of fantastic."
Suarez has been linked with moves to Real Madrid and Barcelona in recent days and Wilkins believes Rodgers faces a difficult task deciding whether or not to keep the former Ajax striker at the club.
"I think from Brendan's point of view it's very difficult because he has got one of the best strikers in world football actually playing in his team," he said.
"So it's always difficult for the manager in deciding which way to go but enough must become enough at some stage. It will be very interesting to see which way they decide to go because if they are going to sell him they have to sell him now.
"There are no two ways about it and recoup as much money as they possibly can because the capital outlay to buy a player of Suarez’s calibre is going to be immense.
"It would be another blow for Brendan in another aspect in the fact that with Suarez at the club Brendan can attract the big players because he is a top quality footballer.
"With the loss of Suarez will other players really want to comer? Would Liverpool without Suarez have finished as strongly as they did last season? No they wouldn't have.
"It's unacceptable behaviour and it should never happen on a football field so he needs to be dealt with, and dealt with severely."
