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With every awe-inspiring performance Luis Suarez served up last season, the debate intensified.

The prolific Uruguayan was increasingly mentioned in the same breath as Kenny Dalglish and Steven Gerrard in conversations about the greatest in Liverpool’s illustrious history.

Now that debate is over. By breaking his bond with the Kop and moving to Barcelona, Suarez has passed up the opportunity to join Anfield’s pantheon of legends.

Greatness isn’t simply determined by natural ability. It’s about longevity, loyalty and medals.

Suarez leaves behind a host of memories – some glorious, some shameful – which will last a lifetime, but when his colourful Liverpool career is put into context he can’t hold a candle to the achievements of either Dalglish or Gerrard.

The history books will show he scored 82 goals in 133 appearances over the course of three and half years, and left with only a League Cup triumph to show for his efforts.

When the frontman granted the ECHO a rare interview at Melwood back in February – two months after penning a new long-term contract – he spoke glowingly about his future on Merseyside.

“I am so happy both on and off the pitch. I know I can achieve my dreams here,” he said.

“The fans have helped me so much. They have always supported me and always had confidence in me. I really feel that support in my heart.

“Stevie has told me about Champions League nights at Anfield. He said when you have played Champions League football at Anfield you will never forget it. I want to try it for myself.”

Those words were hollow and that day won’t arrive. The Reds’ return to Europe’s elite after a five-year absence coincides with the departure of their world class performer.

Not even Liverpool’s remarkable transformation from also-rans into title contenders under the guidance of Brendan Rodgers over the past 12 months could convince the 27-year-old to stay put.

The lure of Barcelona was too great. The reality is that Suarez always viewed the Reds as a stepping stone – he was simply passing through.

There is a school of thought that Suarez’s bite on Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup somehow smoothed his passage to the Nou Camp. That Liverpool decided in the wake of his four-month suspension that he had heaped embarrassment on the club once too often and was more trouble than he was worth.

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But the reality is that the Reds were powerless to prevent Suarez from heading to Spain due to Barcelona’s willingness to meet the release clause in his contract of around £75million.

When talks between the clubs began, Liverpool chief executive Ian Ayre made it crystal clear to the Catalans that the fee was non-negotiable.

What the bite and the subsequent unprecedented punishment meted out by FIFA did do is make the prospect of losing Suarez easier to stomach for a lot of Kopites.

His antics in Brazil made a mockery of the argument that he was a reformed character. The denials and initial lack of remorse was painfully familiar.

Suarez is a genius but a deeply flawed one. Now his habit of self-destructing is Barcelona’s problem.

Yet for all the baggage there is no escaping the fact that Suarez’s exit leaves a gaping void that Rodgers must attempt to fill.

Liverpool maybe £75million better off but it requires a leap of faith to believe that life at Anfield will be richer without him.

Suarez was the inspiration behind last season’s unexpected title push as he tormented top-flight defenders.

With 31 league goals in 33 matches he equalled the Premier League scoring record jointly held by Cristiano Ronaldo and Alan Shearer over a 38-game campaign.

Not since Ian Rush nearly three decades earlier had Liverpool boasted such a lethal marksman.

Suarez also contributed 13 assists and the partnership he established with Daniel Sturridge was the most potent in Europe. He deservedly completed a clean sweep when it came to the Player of the Year prizes.

It wasn’t just the weight of goals but the breathtaking array in which they were registered.

From the bullet 18-yard header against West Brom to the blistering 40-yard half volley against Norwich City and running half the length of Anfield to score in the derby rout of Everton.

In an age of soaring ticket prices Suarez was worth the admission fee alone – his remarkable talent coupled with a tireless work ethic which meant he approached every game like his life depended on it.

When Suarez arrived from Ajax for £22.8million on deadline day in January 2011 there was a vacancy for a Kop icon following Fernando Torres' desertion to Chelsea and he filled it emphatically.

From the moment he came off the bench to score on his debut against Stoke, the love affair blossomed. The chants of ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’ grew ever louder.

Controversy was never far away. His first full season at the club was blighted by the

eight-match ban he served after being found guilty of racially abusing Patrice Evra at Anfield.

Liverpool took a battering throughout that damaging episode – from the supportive T-shirts at Wigan to their deeply flawed defence arguments at his disciplinary hearing.

Suarez let Kenny Dalglish down once again when he refused to shake the Manchester United defender's hand when the clubs met again at Old Trafford.

It was another PR nightmare and this time there was a humbling apology.

A tally of 17 goals in 39 games in 2011/12 was a paltry return for a player of his class. For all the dazzling approach play, there wasn’t sufficient end product. He stood accused of being a scorer of great goals rather than a great goalscorer.

However, the appointment of Rodgers in the summer of 2012 elevated Suarez's game to a new level.

He reached a half century of strikes for the club in 91 appearances - achieving the feat quicker than John Aldridge (92), Michael Owen (93) and Robbie Fowler (94).

Suarez heeded Rodgers' warning to cut out the diving and constant berating of officials. His impressive haul of 30 goals in 44 games in 2012/13 ensured he made headlines for the right reasons but all that changed on a crazy April afternoon at Anfield.

The red mist descended and Suarez sunk his teeth into the arm of Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic.

Liverpool vowed to give him the help he needed to combat his demons but stung by the severity of the FA's 10-game ban Suarez plotted his escape route.

First, he said he needed to get away from England because of media intrusion and then he cited his desire for Champions League football.

Suarez wrongly believed there was a release clause in his contract that would allow him to leave if a club offered in excess of £40million. Arsenal tested the water with £40million plus £1 but that offer was dismissed as derisory.

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The summer-long saga was all very unsavoury with the striker publicly accusing Rodgers of breaking a promise to let him go. The manager responded by banishing Suarez to train on his own.

Owners Fenway Sports Group refused to bow to player power and that show of strength was vital. Getting another 12 months out of Suarez was key to Liverpool achieving their target of a top-four finish.

When Suarez finally accepted he was going nowhere, he knuckled down and on his return from suspension in late September he quickly made up for lost time.

The Kop chanted his name incessantly – a public show of forgiveness for what had gone before.

Suarez produced the form of his life and when Steven Gerrard was sidelined by a hamstring injury, Rodgers handed him the captaincy. He had gone from outcast to wearing the armband inside four months.

When Suarez penned a new contract just before Christmas to keep him at Anfield until 2018 it was hailed as proof of his long-term commitment to the cause.

But in truth the deal which made him the highest paid player in the club's history on around £200,000 per week was just a business agreement which suited both parties.

The Reds were protecting their investment in the knowledge that if Suarez had entered the final two years of his contract his value would have dipped.

Suarez was happy to sign but only because a release clause was being inserted which meant Liverpool couldn't stand in his way if one of the Spanish giants came knocking.

His heroics until the end of the campaign not only took Liverpool to the brink of winning their first title for 24 years but convinced Barcelona he was worth a fee which shatters the club record £50million the Reds received for Torres.

The attraction of Barcelona, where he will line up alongside the likes of Lionel Messi and Neymar, is obvious. He speaks the language and his wife's family live in the city.

But at the Nou Camp he will just be another superstar. He won't find a team built around him like it was at Anfield. He won't be idolised like he was on the Kop.

A player who repeatedly tested the old adage that no-one is bigger than Liverpool Football Club may not fully appreciate what he had on Merseyside until it's gone.

Liverpool kicked on after the likes of Kevin Keegan and Torres departed and now they must do so again.

Rodgers will be given the funds to reinvest in the squad and his task is to ensure the loss of such a key figure doesn't derail the club's resurgence.

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