By EDIALE KINGSLEY
FOR the second time in his career on Thursday, Luis Suarez was awarded the European Golden Shoe. The Uruguayan scored a remarkable 40 league goals for Barcelona last term, pipping teammate Lionel Messi (26) and Cristiano Ronaldo (35) to the prize.
Winning the accolade caps what has been a sensational spell in Catalonia for Suarez, who has adapted seamlessly to life at the Camp Nou since joining from Liverpool – where he last won the European Golden Shoe – in 2014.
Much has been made of where Suarez might eventually hang up his boots, with Liverpool fans desperate for him to return to Anfield.
However, at this moment in time, there’s only one club where he wants to retire: Barcelona.
Speaking at a news conference on Thursday, per ESPN, he said: “I’m in the best team in the world with the best players.
“The group objectives always come first – La Liga, Champions League, Copa del Rey – and then come the personal titles, but it doesn’t matter if it’s me, Messi, Neymar or whoever [winning them].
“I suffered a lot to make it here (Barcelona) and I want to enjoy it and continue fighting to complete my objectives, which is to win titles.
“I would love to retire here, but that obliges you to stay at the top level for your whole career.
“But I’m not thinking about that now. There are only a few privileged enough to retire here.”
Suarez will harbour hopes of completing a hat-trick of European Golden Shoes before he eventually retires, which would equal Messi’s current haul and close the gap on Ronaldo (4).
But ultimately, the 29-year-old would be content with watching his Argentine teammate or Neymar claim the award so long as Barcelona are still winning trophies.
“If you target an individual award you can probably get it,” he added, “but the priority is the team winning titles.
“If I don’t win it then Messi or Neymar will. I’ve never aspired to be top scorer, just to lift the Champions League, which I’ve already done.”
A second Champions League title is what Suarez craves most, then, having won Europe’s elite competition with Barcelona in 2014/15.