Suarez pleased to prove naysayers wrong at Atletico Madrid

The aging striker was forced out of Camp Nou last summer with many questioning his ability to keep performing at the highest level.

Luis Suarez is convinced that he can continue playing among “football’s elite” for years to come, asserting that it is he himself who will decide when it’s time to bow out.

34-year-old Suarez sits atop the La Liga goalscoring charts with an excellent tally of 16 goals in 18 games.

He has been the catalyst for Atletico Madrid’s remarkable form this season as Los Rojiblancos, who have suffered just one league loss, lead the title race with 53 points from 21 matches.

The striker’s red-hot form comes as a big slap in the face for FC Barcelona, who deemed him surplus to requirements ahead of 2020-21 and let him leave for a meager €6 million.

“I still feel like I’m enjoying this moment that I’m in today, in football’s elite,” Suarez told ESPN.

“Being at Atletico, you’re in football’s elite. Some people didn’t believe that I could still be at this level. I’ve got the same enthusiasm.

“I hope that this year, next year and for however many years it is, I keep competing and giving my best, until you realise that you’ve gone as far as you can.

“But no one will get rid of me. I’ll decide when I go.”