Roberto Mancini has revealed his admiration for Luis Suarez as the striker prepares to spearhead the Liverpool attack against Manchester City on Sunday.

Often a controversial figure during his time in England, Suarez has been making headlines for the right reasons this season, notching 17 goals in 23 Premier League appearances.

The former Ajax man added to his tally for the season in Wednesday’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal and Mancini is well aware of the threat his defence will face.

“Suarez for me is a top player,” the Italian told reporters. “I like him because he is strong and he works hard.

“For me, he is one of the best in England. I like his quality. He has quality and he is strong.”

Mancini was quizzed on any potential interest in the player at the end of the season, with the reigning Premier League champions weakened in attack following the sale of Mario Balotelli to AC Milan, but refused to be drawn on the matter, stating “he is a Liverpool player”.

Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson has spoken of his determination to forge a successful career for himself after a difficult first season at Anfield.

Henderson moved from boyhood club Sunderland for €18.4 million in 2011 but struggled in his first season, and has said those experiences have helped him improve as a player.

“I don’t think what’s happened will have done me any harm. I think I might have needed it, to be honest,” he told The Guardian.

“You will get criticism throughout your career. All the best players have had it at some stage and they haven’t let it ruin their careers. I won’t either.”

Henderson also said that the biggest challenge when he moved to Liverpool was stepping up to match the ability of his more illustrious team-mates like Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez.

He added: “It was just different. When I was at Sunderland I didn’t think I was the star or anything but here you have people like Stevie and [Luis] Suarez and Pepe Reina and Carra [Jamie Carragher], who have been the best players for many years.

“And straight away, you have to try to match their ability. It was a step up, a challenge. I felt I was playing well at times, just not on a consistent basis which is what you have to do at Liverpool.

“That’s what I needed to get my head around the most: that I had to do it all the time, not just occasionally. When you come to a club like Liverpool you need to perform straight away and consistently.

“Looking back, I don’t think I did that. There were games when I thought I’d played well. It just wasn’t every single week and that isn’t enough for a club like Liverpool. I needed to learn that.”

Now, the man who has won five caps for England and travelled as part of the Euro 2012 squad believes manager Brendan Rodgers has been key in his improvement this season.

He said: “OK, it might not have gone to plan at the start, but I knew I could turn around and get it right. I knew I just had to take it on the chin.

“Even though I wasn’t in the team, I felt that if I kept going, kept working hard, kept fighting, I would get my chance again, and that I would take it.

“The manager’s been brilliant with me, to be fair. He’s told me the things I need to work on and how I can get better.

“He’s looked back on previous games and talked to me about the things I can improve tactically, how I can be more disciplined, the positions I take up.

“I feel as if I’ve done that now. I’m still working on it but I feel I’m doing better now.”

Doni has revealed his heart stopped beating during his Liverpool medical, and that he almost went “to the other side.”

The Brazilian recently joined Botafago in his native country on a free transfer, and has said that during his time with the Reds his career came very close to being ended.

“I was taking the medical exams [at Liverpool, during pre-season in 2012] and I had a cardio-respiratory arrest,” he told Globoesporte.com. “I was unconscious for 25 seconds and almost went ‘to the other side’.

“After that, I went to London and had several exams that confirmed I didn’t have any sequels. Then they sent me back to Rome, where one of the finest doctors in Europe took care of me for six years.

“After yet another load of exams, the doctors asked me to stay a few more months on the sidelines.”

Doni was advised by medical professionals to never play football again, and has spoken candidly about the effect such a verdict had on his personal life.

He added: “I was really down for three months, I had trouble sleeping. Anyone who’s gone through that knows what a horrible feeling it is.

“When you return, it feels like you haven’t slept for years. That time affected me deeply psychologically, but after a few months, it was over, and now I’m back to normal.

“It’s hard to talk. It’s a moment when you stop and think. You end up giving more value to life, to your family, your kids, you just want to stay close to your family. Then you stop, think and you realize what are the real important things in life.”