Suarez insists he wants to stay at Liverpool

‘I have a deal with Liverpool and this is my present and future’, says banned striker

Liverpool’s Luis Suarez  watches the Merseyside derby from the stands with his wife and daughter at Anfield. Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA Wire
Liverpool’s Luis Suarez watches the Merseyside derby from the stands with his wife and daughter at Anfield. Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

Luis Suarez has revealed that he wants to remain at Liverpool despite receiving a 10-match ban for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic.

The Uruguay international striker will miss Sunday's derby against Everton because of the incident at Anfield in April. But the 26-year-old, who has scored 30 goals for the club this campaign, is determined to remain on Merseyside.

With his contract not due to expire until 2017, Suarez insists he has given no thought to leaving in the summer

“I have a deal with Liverpool and this is my present - and future,” said Suarez, quoted in The Sun. “From the day I arrived, I saw how special this derby is, so it is a pain to miss it.

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“But we have a big squad which can function without me.”

Speculation over Suarez’s future was rife he received his second FA ban in his two-and-half seasons at Anfield.

He and the club were ‘shocked’ at the length of the ban but decided not to appeal to ensure they were not accused of underestimating the serious nature of the offence.