<
>

Suarez says it's a 'striker's dream' to play with Messi, Neymar at Barcelona

Luis Suarez has told El Periodico he feels "privileged" to be playing alongside Lionel Messi and Neymar, who for him are the best two players in the world at the moment.

Since Suarez signed from Liverpool three years ago, Barca's South American frontline have scored 357 goals between them and helped the Catalan club win a total of eight trophies.

They're widely heralded as the best attack in football at the moment, but Suarez modestly lays the trio's success at the feet of Messi and Neymar.

"It's any striker's dream to have the two best players in the world either side of you." he said. "In the tight games they can open things up from nowhere and make the difference. I am very privileged.

"They're so spectacular because of the way they are on and off the pitch. They continue to amaze you in every training session, in every game...

"We are never put together [in training], we're kept apart and it's impossible to get the ball off of them. They beat you with their bodies, with their speed... I don't even tire myself trying to match them! They're a step ahead."

Despite being from different parts of South America -- Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil -- the three forwards have struck up a brilliant relationship off the pitch, which is credited as one of the keys to their achievements on it.

"We're all totally different," Suarez said. "Ney's a fun guy who enjoys life and who has learned how to enjoy it sensibly. He's a good teammate who cares about how everyone is, about their families and about a lot of things that aren't always seen.

"With Leo it's a different relationship: our kids go to school together, we're neighbours... I see Leo as a teammate, not as the Messi that the rest of the world sees. But it's not easy to be Leo Messi -- not at all. Spending time with him, I've seen how difficult it is and you have to understand that."

However, despite having an attack comprising of Suarez, Messi and Neymar, Barca face the possibility of ending the season in a disappointing fashion.

They have already been knocked out of the Champions League at the quarterfinal stage and will miss out on La Liga to Real Madrid if Zinedine Zidane's side pick up at least seven points from their final three games.

"Watching the Champions League semifinals on the television hurts a lot," Suarez said of Barca's early European exit. "It hurts because of the quality we have, from the goalkeeper though to the last substitute, and because of everything we have achieved until now.

"But you have to be self-critical. We're aware that doesn't mean we will win [everything]. You win on the pitch, by not making mistakes. You can't gift anyone anything. We gifted Juventus moments of the game in Turin and we paid expensively for it.

"It's been the same in La Liga. We didn't underestimate anyone, but we were sluggish against Betis and ended up drawing; against Depor we had one bad half and we lost.

"They're things we must learn from in the future. We're aware that we have given away a lot of points. Next season we must apply ourselves and make sure we don't give anything away in any game."