Liverpool had tamed Luis Suarez, but the Uruguay striker has lost it and I can't see him changing

The 2014 World Cup will be associated with Luis Suarez's bite on Giorgio Chiellini

The incident isn't dissimilar to Harald Schumacher's lunge on Patrick Battiston during the 1982 World Cup

Liverpool may actually be relieved if Real Madrid or Barcelona make a bid for the striker

He should be regarded as one of the finest but he will be known as the one who bites people

He will be remembered for ever but that is no compliment. The 2014 World Cup will be associated with Luis Suarez in the same way Spain 1982 is synonymous with Harald Schumacher.



I hardly saw the West Germany goalkeeper play but mention his name and I know immediately he was responsible for the outrageous collision in the semi-final that left France midfielder Patrick Battiston unconscious.



It was one of the most shocking incidents in World Cup history but, unfortunately, Suarez has put himself in that bracket after biting Giorgio Chiellini. Rather than being regarded as one of the finest forwards in the game, he’s now simply known as the one who bites people.

VIDEO Scroll down to watch Luis Suarez claim he simply collided with Chiellini's shoulder

Flashpoint: The 2014 World Cup will be remembered for this Luis Suarez bite on Giorgio Chiellini

Worried: Suarez seemed sheepish as he walked through Uruguay's team hotel in Natal, Brazil

I still find the incident in Natal completely bizarre. I worked with Luis every day for two-and-a-half years at Liverpool and if you spent time in his company at Melwood, you would struggle to believe he was capable of such ridiculous moments.



He’s a quiet lad, in the main. He’s not someone who squares up to people on the training ground if things don’t go his way and he’s not overly-aggressive or a bully. Yes, his desire to win is fierce but that is no different from a lot of top professionals.



As for him needing a ‘mental edge’ to operate at the highest level, that’s nonsense. He is a special footballer because he scores incredible goals, his skill, tremendous physical capabilities and enthusiasm. He pushes himself to the limit but that doesn’t mean we should have to accept moments of madness.



Star: Suarez has deservedly picked up a host of personal awards while at Liverpool

Shocking: Chiellini shows his wounds to the referee during Uruguay's win against Italy

Playing the victim: The 27-year-old held his teeth in pain after the incident against Italy on Tuesday

Evidence: Chiellini seemed to have a red bite mark on his left shoulder after the incident

Luis will be distraught today. When he bit Branislav Ivanovic during a 2-2 draw with Chelsea in April 2013, in the days and weeks that followed you could see how much of an impact it had made on him. He was devastated, as was his wife, Sofia.



Do not think, however, I am looking to defend him. I didn’t when he tangled with Ivanovic and I’m not changing my view. Luis’s actions have been disgraceful and it defies belief that he could behave as if he was in a playground once again after everything Liverpool have done for him.



The signs last season had been encouraging. He was booked only six times (compared to 11 times in 2012-13) and benefited from a philosophy Brendan Rodgers calls ‘match management’. He wants players to remain calm and focused at all times.



Dr Steve Peters goes to every Liverpool game for a variety of reasons but part of it is to analyse ‘impulse management’ and he will study how players react in pressure situations. The system worked last year because Liverpool topped the fair play league.



Horrifying: Harald Schumacher of West Germany (right) jumps past the ball as he gets ready to collide with French defender Patrick Battiston (left) during the 1982 World Cup semi-final

Wrong: Schumacher's collision with Battiston is one of the most shocking incident in World Cup history





But away from that environment, he has lost focus and if I’m honest, I don’t believe he will change. He will always have that tendency to self-destruct. This latest incident mirrored the ones with Ivanovic and PSV Eindhoven’s Otman Bakkal — it was a split-second reaction, instinctive.



Could there be an element he felt he would get away with it?



Think about it: why would you choose to bite someone? When the red mist descends on a footballer, you may expect a punch to be thrown, an elbow to be swung or even a headbutt but if you bite someone, it is virtually impossible to be detected by match officials. No referee will ever see you if you get in close enough and TV pictures may prove inconclusive.



Had these incidents taken place 20 years ago, when there were not so many TV cameras in stadiums, Luis might never have been punished. After all, none of the referees in the games in which he bit Bakkal, Ivanovic and Chiellini sent him off, as neither they nor their assistants saw the crime take place.



Guilty? The Uruguay talisman seemed to have something on his mind after the final whistle

Shame: Suarez would have been remembered for his stunning performance against England

Stunning: The forward scored twice to help Uruguay defeat England in the Group D clash

But he has been caught and now some questions need to be answered on what the consequences will be for Liverpool, who have done everything they can to help him psychologically by making Dr Peters available to him at all times.



The biggest previous punishment handed out by FIFA, of course, was the eight-game ban imposed on Mauro Tassotti when he broke Luis Enrique’s nose with an elbow at the USA World Cup in 1994 — I maintain a footballer would rather be bitten than have his nose smashed or be left unconscious, like Battiston.



I have thought about it and believe the biggest way to hurt him would have been for FIFA to suspend him for the rest of the World Cup and then ban him for a calendar year, which would rule him out of Uruguay’s Copa America defence in Chile next summer.



People are calling for a worldwide ban but I don’t think Liverpool should be punished. Uruguay didn’t suffer when he served the Ivanovic ban, did they? He missed the first five Barclays Premier League games, during which time Liverpool dropped five points against Swansea and Southampton.



The form Luis was in last year, I’m certain he would have made the difference in those matches and Liverpool would have then won the title.

Down: Chiellini clutches his shoulder after clashing with Suarez during the Group D match

Trouble ahead: Luis Suarez (left) is the subject of disciplinary proceedings by FIFA

Rematch: Suarez has had his eyes on Chiellini for quite some time ¿ the pair met in last year¿s Confederations Cup

With Liverpool, his situation is even more complicated. Those who are saying the club should make a stand and drum him out have no grasp on reality because no business would get shot of an £80million asset for nothing or a reduced fee.



Luis is not like Charles Itandje, the Cameroon goalkeeper who was sacked by Liverpool in 2009 after he was caught misbehaving at the Hillsborough Memorial Service. Itandje was no good, had a bad attitude and was never going to play, so getting shot of him was easy to do.



You would never say the same about Luis but there comes a point when enough is enough. You have to wonder whether Barcelona and Real Madrid have been put off by what they saw in Natal but there is no doubt his future will become a massive issue.



Bad attitude: Charles Itandje was sacked by Liverpool in 2009 after misbehaving at the Hillsborough Memorial Service

Decision: Brendan Rodgers may have to allow Suarez to leave Liverpool after his latest misdemeanor

Now you get the feeling that Liverpool might actually be relieved if Barcelona or Real come in with a bid that triggers a move. If a lucrative offer arrives in the next few weeks, I am convinced Suarez will be playing his football somewhere else next season.



He has been a magnificent player and that is why Liverpool supporters have staunchly stood by him but even they believe now that this latest controversy is something the club can do without.



And the problem you have with Luis, for all his wonderful gifts, is that this episode is unlikely to be his last.