Suarez’s exploits in front of goal earned him a move to Dutch top-flight side Groningen in 2006, where his 10 goals in 29 league matches brought a debut for Uruguay and a £6.75m move to Ajax.

The rest is history as, after 111 goals in 159 appearances for the Amsterdam club, he moved to Liverpool for £22.7m in 2011 before heading to Barcelona and then Atletico.

Former Groningen team-mate and fellow Uruguayan Bruno Silva says Suarez’s move to Europe was initially one born out of love, rather than a desire to enhance his professional career.

His girlfriend from the age of 13, and now wife, Sofia moved to Barcelona for family reasons aged just 15 and – while maintaining a long-distance relationship – Suarez was determined to move closer to her.

Silva said: “His decision to come to Europe was always thinking of being near his wife, Sofia, who was in Barcelona. He was determined, playing like a person that has the hunger to get to the top level quickly.”

Diego Forlan, who claimed the 2010 World Cup Golden Boot, added: “In the World Cup in 2010 and in Copa America 2011 where we won the championship, we saw an outstanding version of Suarez, in every training session he wanted to win, to be the best.

“Every time Suarez fell with something, though, he had Sofia to get himself up, he had that motivation to never disappoint his family. All the things that happened to Luis – from Evra, to being suspended for biting or even with his injuries, he had Sofia with him and that is his support in life.”