Suarez thanks team-mates for stunning Atletico Madrid form

Atletico Madrid star Luis Suarez has said his team-mates are one of the main reasons for his stunning form this season.

Suarez left Barcelona at the end of the 2019-20 campaign but has shown this season that he still has plenty left in the tank at age 34. 

The Uruguayan has scored 16 Liga goals in 17 games, proving Barca made a major error in letting him go and leading Atletico to the top of the table in Spain. His form led to him earning a fans' award for the month of January.

What has Suarez said? 

"It's always nice to be valued," Suarez told Atletico's Twitter account of the award. "The fact that the fans acknowledge my work and my efforts to help the team makes me happy and proud. It means I'm doing a good job.

"It's a small reward after so many years of hard work. You work hard every day to improve. Although I'm 34, I'm still as ambitious as ever, trying to help the team stay on top. That way we can reach the end of the season in the position we want. 

"I think strikers don't score, aren't happy and don't perform if their team-mates don't do a great job behind them. 

"Strikers are used to scoring goals. You try to help the team. Sometimes you score many goals and other times you don't for a few games. We're doing well at the moment. The main thing for us is to keep earning three points in every match."

Koeman wishes Suarez hadn't joined Atletico 

Ronald Koeman decided last summer when he was appointed Barcelona head coach that Suarez was no longer needed at Camp Nou.

Koeman defended his decision to jettison Suarez in an interview with The Athletic last week, but did admit he would have preferred he joined a team outside La Liga. 

"It would have been better that Luis Suarez signed for Juventus instead of Atletico Madrid because he’s still in the Spanish league," Koeman said.

Suarez was linked with a move to the Serie A champions before a deal to take him to Italy ultimately fell through.

Suarez breaks another record

Suarez has been in stunning form for Atletico and broke yet another record on Monday when he scored a pair of goals against Celta Vigo. 

The striker's brace meant he is the first player to score 16 goals in his first 17 games for a team in the Spanish top flight in the 21st century.

Further reading

• Suarez breaks Ronaldo record as stunning start continues
• Suarez joining Juventus 'would have been better' for Barca - Koeman