Football
Dermot Corrigan, Madrid correspondent 9y

Luis Suarez was 'a bit shy' after he signed for Barcelona from Liverpool

Barcelona forward Luis Suarez has admitted to feeling "a bit shy" when he first joined the Catalan club and started to play alongside Lionel Messi and Neymar.

Suarez arrived at Barcelona for €80 million last summer from Liverpool, and took his time to settle at the Camp Nou, having to wait eight La Liga games to get his first goal, and scoring just six times overall in his first 20 matches for his new club.

Such difficulties look well behind him now, with 12 goals scored in his last 12 appearances, including a double at Manchester City in the Champions League last 16, a winner in March's La Liga Clasico against Real Madrid, and another double in last week's Champions League 3-1 quarterfinal first leg win at Paris Saint-Germain.

Speaking at the news conference ahead of Tuesday's return game at home to PSG, the Uruguay international said it had taken him a while to feel fully confident in his new surroundings.

"It is always nice to share a dressing-room with players of the quality here," Suarez said. "When you are new you can be a bit shy, but they always received me well. They told me to play as I knew. We are all happy.

"I'm grateful to my teammates for the treatment I've received since I arrived and that gave me confidence. With hard work and sacrifice everything works out."

The 28-year-old said he was his own biggest critic when things were not going his way, however his new teammates had supported him through some difficult early days.

"You always try and improve," Suarez said. "I do not believe myself the best when I do well, nor the worst when I make a mistake. I'm very self-critical with myself and for a while I felt I wasn't helping the team. But everyone gave me support and that gave me the strength to go forward."

Suarez said he was delighted with his current form, however the main thing was the team were on course to win trophies this season.

"This is the sweetest moment," he said. "I am helping the team. But while the team is going well, I am happy. It does not matter who scores, but that the team has a good season."

Suarez's six Champions League goals in six appearances put him joint-fourth in the race to be the competition's top scorer this season.

Luis Adriano of already eliminated Shakhtar Donetsk is currently leading with nine goals, with Messi and Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo joint second on eight.

Last season's European Golden Boot winner, shared with Ronaldo, said he was not particularly concerned with such personal awards.

"I do not think about that," Suarez said. "What interests me is the success of the group, and what we can win together."

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