Brendan Rodgers has said he is a better manager for the problems posed by Luis Suárez during his early tenure at Liverpool. The Liverpool manager has had to contend with several controversies involving the Uruguay international, notably the bite on the Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic that resulted in a 10-match ban last season and the striker's attempt to force a £40m plus one pound move to Arsenal in the summer.

Rodgers, who also defended Suárez against allegations of diving only for the 26-year-old to later confess to play‑acting, was instrumental in Liverpool's refusal to sell the striker and ordered him to train away from the first-team squad after being accused of breaking a promise over a move to a Champions League club. But the 40-year-old believes his managerial skills have been enhanced by his dealings with the outstanding forward.

"Some of the things [Suárez] has done, he knows was wrong," the Liverpool manager said in an interview with ESPN. "Some of them have been really testing situations as a manager … there's been some challenging moments. Seventeen months on as I sit here, I'm a much better manager for that experience."

Suárez has returned from the Ivanovic ban and transfer stand-off in fine form, scoring eight goals in seven club appearances so far, and Rodgers is confident the striker will continue to lead Liverpool's push for Champions League qualification after the January transfer window. "I believe so," the Liverpool manager said. "There's no club that is bigger than Liverpool. I think Luis now respects that decision because he's very happy here, and improving all the time."

Rodgers has also reiterated there is no agreement that Suárez can leave should Liverpool fail to finish in the top four again this season, the source of the dispute between the striker's camp and the club during the transfer saga with Arsenal. "There is nothing in place," he adds. "[Luis] is very important but it's the team that will get us there, not one player."

Liverpool can return to the top of the Premier League with victory over Everton in the Merseyside derby on Saturday, the game kicking off before Arsenal host Southampton, but Rodgers concedes there remains a gap between his side and the current league leaders.

He said: "[Arsenal] have got their philosophy and understanding of how they work that has been in place for 15 years. So we're playing catch up. We're looking to introduce our identity to the team. It's going to take a bit of time. I think it's an exciting thought that we haven't got near our full potential yet but we've collected the points."