Luis Suarez is the world's top striker and he can be Liverpool's Eric Cantona

The difference a year makes. On this day 12 months ago, Luis Suarez was public enemy No 1 in English football and starting a 10-game ban.



Now he is on the cusp of completing a remarkable transformation as he could scoop the two most prestigious individual awards in the domestic game. An even bigger achievement would be leading Liverpool to their first league title since 1990.



In many ways, it is symbolic that Chelsea are Liverpool’s opponents. He brought trouble on himself in this fixture in April 2013, so it would be fitting if he does something in April 2014 that gets him remembered for the right reasons.



That is not to say the incident in which he bit Branislav Ivanovic will be forgotten.

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From villain to hero: A year ago, Luis Suarez was attacked from all sides after biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic

The main man: With 30 of Liverpool's 96 Premier League goals to his name, Suarez has been a cornerstone of the club's success this season

Looking back on that day, I am still bemused by Luis’s actions.



During the match, we had no idea about the seriousness of the situation. I was up the other end of the pitch and saw there had been a coming together but as Ivanovic, to his credit, didn’t make a big issue of it, we carried on as normal.



There was some talk later on that something unusual had happened but my only thought at the final whistle was how Luis had been the hero again, as he’d scored a brilliant header to secure a 2-2 draw in the last minute. Coming back into the dressing room, however, it was clear all was not right. Luis is normally bubbly and bouncy after scoring but, on this occasion, he was quiet and sheepish.



I asked him what was wrong, as did others, but he just said 'nothing'; only when we saw television replays did we become aware of the full extent. It meant that was the last time I played a competitive game with Luis for Liverpool.



It was a stupid thing to do and I wouldn’t begin to defend him for it. In the days that followed at Melwood, Liverpool’s training ground, you could see how things had taken a toll on him. Luis knew he had let everyone down, from Brendan Rodgers to his team-mates, and I’m glad he’s had the chance to make amends.



Of course, there was the high-profile issue in the summer when he tried to engineer a move to Arsenal and I was concerned, particularly after I trained with him before Steven Gerrard’s testimonial in August, that he might down tools and sulk.



Thankfully, he has done anything but. He has not put a foot out of place and you can trace the improvement in his on-field behaviour back to that moment with Ivanovic. He’s steered well clear of controversy.

Red hot: after a 24-year wait for a title, Suarez can be the catalyst to another golden era in Liverpool's history

Knuckling down: After a summer of speculation, Suarez has sparkled in training and on the pitch

If Liverpool do become champions, Luis’s role of scoring 30 goals could catapult him into the top five or six players ever to represent Liverpool, placing him alongside legendary figures such as Kenny Dalglish, Steven Gerrard, Graeme Souness, John Barnes and Ian Rush.



Plenty have done more for Liverpool in terms of winning trophies — Luis currently only has a League Cup medal to show for his three years — but what he could be doing is launching a new period of sustained success.



Liverpool’s greatest teams were in the 1970s and 1980s but, without Bill Shankly building the foundations with pillars such as Ron Yeats, Ian Callaghan and Roger Hunt in the 1960s, the domination that followed would not have been possible.



That is why being the man who can start the rebirth of Liverpool in terms of winning championships will be a legacy for Suarez that no amount of money or medals will be able to beat.



Laying the foundation of success: Bill Shankly talks tactics before an FA Cup match with West Ham in 1963. Seated (left-right Willie Stevenson, Ron Yeats, Gerry Byrne, Kevin Lewis and Ian Callaghan. Standing (left-right) Tommy Lawrence, Gordon Milne, Ian St John, Roger Hunt, Shankley, Jimmy Melia, Ronnie Moran and Bob Paisley

The kings of Europe: After winning the UEFA CUp the year earlier, Emlyn Hughes lifts Liverpool's first European Cup in 1977. Bob Paisley's side would go on to win the competition a year later and in 1981, before Joe Fagan made it four wins in eight years in 1984

Similarities can be drawn with Eric Cantona. Manchester United won the Champions League after he retired, but he was the catalyst for their golden era and, like Suarez, he returned from disciplinary trouble to inspire a memorable campaign. Should Suarez lift the title, it would evoke memories of Cantona doing ‘The Double’ in 1995-96 when he scored a glut of defining goals, like against Newcastle in the Premier League and Liverpool in the FA Cup final.



In my first column last August, I said Luis ‘needed to give Liverpool one more year’ and I’m delighted he did as he has got to the levels of Thierry Henry and Cristiano Ronaldo, the two I rate as the Premier League’s best ever players in terms of ability.

Iconic: Eric Cantona was added to a spluttering Manchester United squad to transform the fortunes of the club

Key strike: Cantona fies home the only goal of the game as United saw off Liverpool to complete a domestic double in 1996

At this moment, he is the best striker on the planet. What separates him is the mental toughness that accompanies his ability; he wants to train every single day and he is the one who spends the least time in with the medical department. Earlier in the season, I found it difficult to split him and Sergio Aguero, but Suarez has moved way ahead in that race and the fact he is leading the race for the Golden Boot in the era of Ronaldo and Lionel Messi speaks volumes.



The stage, then, is set for him and the atmosphere at Anfield could eclipse the Champions League semi-final against Chelsea in 2005. That was the loudest I have ever heard a football stadium.



Jose Mourinho made reference to Luis Garcia’s ‘ghost goal’ again this week and, judging from some of his comments about playing a weakened side, it looks like he’s getting his excuses in early.



Whether he makes wholesale changes, I don’t know. But if Suarez inspires Liverpool once again, I can say with certainty his turnaround will be complete.

A roaring success: Anfield was buzzing for the Champions League semi-final against Chelsea

The ghost goal: Luis Garcia reacts first in the area to send Liverpool to Istanbul

It would be stupid to write off Guardiola



Bayern Munich have a fight on their hands to reach the Champions League final after a difficult night against Real Madrid.



Since they won the Bundesliga last month, there is no doubt that Bayern’s play has lost some intensity and they are not passing with the same pace as when they took Manchester City apart last autumn.



Having visited Munich last December, I know how much retaining the Champions League would mean to the club and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge spoke passionately about why Bayern need more consistency in Europe’s top competition.



By that, he meant winning the competition more regularly, rather than having to wait 25 years and 12 years as they did to land their fourth and fifth titles, after winning the European Cup three years in a row between 1974 and 1976.



A meeting of minds: Jamie Carragher met Karl-Heinz Rummenigge last year at the Allianz Arena

Getting to know you: Pep Guardiola answered Carragher's questions at Bayern's Sabener Strasse facility

Still in it: Bayern trail Real Madrid 1-0 after the first leg at the Bernabeu

But it is madness if anyone thinks Pep Guardiola’s first season at the Allianz Arena will be considered a failure if he does not overturn last Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat and falls at the semi-final stage.



The Bundesliga has long since been sewn up, they will play the German Cup final against Borussia Dortmund and 1-0 is hardly an insurmountable deficit to overturn, particularly with home advantage.



Yes, there are areas that Bayern need to improve but Guardiola has a three-year contract with them and I would certainly expect him to lift the Champions League at some stage in that period.

