Football
ESPN staff 10y

Beckham likens Suarez to Cantona

David Beckham has compared Luis Suarez to Eric Cantona and claimed Barcelona's new striker is a footballing legend.

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Suarez will complete a move to Barcelona in the coming days for a fee in the region of 70 million pounds. However, the Uruguay international leaves Liverpool under a cloud after being banned from all football activity for four months after biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 World Cup.

But Beckham has looked beyond Suarez's misdemeanours and insists last season's PFA Player of the Year is in the same league as his former Manchester United teammate Cantona.

He told Sky Sports: "All I see is two great players. I know what he [Suarez] did is inexcusable, like me in 1998, but these things happen.

"He's come out and apologised. He understands he is a role model and I think that is one of the reasons he has come out so strongly and said it wouldn't happen again.

"Eric was a great player, a legend, and a player I always looked up to [and it is the] same with Luis. For me, I look at his football talent and he is a hell of a talent.

Former United star Beckham added that he is sad to see Suarez leave the Premier League even though he came close to winning Liverpool their first league title in 24 years. 

"Liverpool were so close to winning the championship last year and he was a real big part of that. You never want to see great talent leaving one of the biggest and strongest leagues in the world."

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