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For Steven Gerrard it was a long hot summer with one ominous storm cloud.

The Reds skipper made an excellent recovery from shoulder surgery, enjoyed a testimonial match which saw the second highest gate ever attracted to an Anfield benefit – and was part of an England team which beat the old enemy at Wembley.

But there was one cloud which threatened to blight a near perfect summer: Luis Suarez’s possible departure.

With the Uruguayan magician muttering about media intrusion and new horizons, Arsenal lodging £40million plus one pound bids, and interest from Real Madrid reported almost daily – the prospect of Suarez scoring two goals at Sunderland on his Premier League return seemed remote.

And Gerrard admits he feared Suarez’s departure on an almost daily basis.

Was there a time he feared he may never see Suarez pull on a red jersey again?

“Every day in the summer,” he said. “When you have a player as good as Luis Suarez, you know that the big clubs are going to want him.

“I was waking up every morning, hoping that nothing would happen and that he would still be here. Nobody tried harder than me to do that (make him stay) and he knows exactly what I think of him.

“I knew if we could keep him here, the better our chances would be.

“He is a special type of footballer and he gives us something different. When the club got the message to him that they were not going to sell him, he got his head down and has worked hard. He has never given us a moment’s problem.”

After a bright display on his return from a 10-match absence at Manchester United in the Capital One Cup, Suarez took just 36 minutes to open his account on his Premier League comeback.

“I think it is a credit to Luis for the way he has come back,” added Gerrard. “A lot of players who have been in his position might have come back and spat the dummy out, not trying for the team.

“But he is not that type of guy.

“He realised that the club wanted to keep him and he has respected their decision. He is here now and he wants to stay.

“He wants to achieve something this season and he looks as hungry as he has ever done.”

Suarez’s return helped fire the Reds back up to second in the Premier League table after the disappointment of the home defeat by Southampton a week ago.

But the Reds skipper insists that his side can’t afford complacency to creep in again when lowly Crystal Palace visit this Saturday.

“We had a tough week. There had been the draw at Swansea, the very disappointing performance against Southampton when we didn’t turn up and then we had mixed emotions after Manchester United because we had played well but not got the result.

“It was important that we got back to winning ways and it has put us in a nice position in the table. We know next week that without a shadow of a doubt we have got to approach the game against Crystal Palace with a completely different manner than we did against Southampton.

“We have got to make sure we have got the intensity of a cup final.

“Everyone is taking points off one another and I’m sure other teams are taking note that we are a threat to them.

“But to be honest, I’m not too bothered about what people are saying about us. I know what this team is capable of.

“The main thing for us is to keep fighting and show that we are capable of staying in these positions to around Christmas time and then we will see where that takes us. The only way we will do that is by winning games.”

Luis Suarez’s return to the team will clearly aid that ambition.

And his growing partnership with Daniel Sturridge can also help both club – and country – and another double act Gerrard is keen to see in action.

“For me, Wayne Rooney and Daniel Sturridge is the partnership that every England fan wants to see,” he explained. “You have seen what he offers and if we can keep Daniel and Wayne on the pitch, so much the better. He is in top form and has made a brilliant start to the season.”