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According to popular opinion, his unequivocal support and aggressive defence of Luis Suarez was a major factor in Kenny Dalglish getting the sack.

Dalglish’s refusal to yield an inch in the Suarez-Evra affair was ­widely condemned – the manager’s consent to the wearing of T-shirts proclaiming solidarity with the striker deplored by many.

Dalglish must now watch Suarez and Liverpool with a rueful smile. He backed his player because he believed his account of the ­exchange with Evra and believed his explanation.

That faith might have backfired on Dalglish – but not on Liverpool.

Who is to say that, without the circling of the wagons around Suarez, the player would still be there?

Without doubt, Suarez has been made to feel like he belongs at Anfield – and that process began long before Brendan Rodgers arrived.

It was not the motivation for standing so squarely behind ­Suarez, but Dalglish recognised that Liverpool had a special player – a No.7 who, in time, could be as influential as Kevin Keegan and Dalglish himself (incidentally, none of the starting XI for Liverpool’s ­victory over ­Sunderland was ­recruited by Rodgers).

Liverpool’s support of Suarez has paid dividends.

He signed a new contract and is already embedded deep into supporters’ affections – affections which dull any hurt he must feel from the vitriol directed from other quarters.

Because there is still a ­widespread reluctance to give Suarez, the ­footballer, the credit he deserves.

Although there is still just under half of the season to play out, some thoughts have begun to turn ­towards individual accolades.

Will it sit easily with the ­Professional Footballers’ ­Association and the Football ­Writers’ Association if Suarez is named as the recipient of their respective annual honours?

Right now, I’ve got him down as a clear leader.

Gareth Bale and Juan Mata have ­illuminated passages of the season so far, Leighton Baines has been consistently ­excellent (but defenders rarely win awards) and Robin van Persie has done what the world and his wife knew he would… scored a hatful for Manchester United.

But in terms of an individual’s importance to his team, Suarez is miles ahead.

We all know the crimes that will count against him, though – stretching back to his bite in Holland and his World Cup handball through to his racial abuse of Evra, his diving and his occasional penchant for leaving a foot in.

Even considering some of the characters that have been named Player of the Year and Footballer of the Year – think Wayne Rooney and Eric Cantona, for instance – that’s a heck of a rap sheet to ignore.

But there have been signs in ­recent games that Suarez is aware of a need to curtail his dramatics.

And while he, presumably, believes he committed no crime in the first place, there has been no indication he will repeat the offence that outraged so many and earned him an eight-match suspension.

We should not forget his heinous ­offence against Evra – but we can all forgive.

The Footballer of the Year award, in particular, takes into account the example set by a player.

Right now, the example being set by Suarez is of matchless ­commitment to the team’s cause, of an insatiable hunger, desire and passion for the game, of invention and world-class ability.

No wonder Dalglish recognised the importance of Suarez to the future of Liverpool Football Club.

The baggage Suarez is trying to shed will still prove too weighty for many.

And he may well let himself down again. At the moment, though, he is entitled to a break.

As the current chairman of the Football Writers’ Association, it will be my duty to present the Footballer of the Year trophy in May.

And right now, there would be no problem in handing it to Suarez.

Click here for more from Andy Dunn: Are Manchester United that good or the rest of the Premier League 'contenders' that bad?