Liverpool's Luis Suarez: I've worked out the media can't say bad things if you don't DO bad things

Star at heart of Evra racism row and two biting storms "has been through a lot and grown up" PLUS: His dread over Uruguay vs England World Cup clash

Luis Suarez reckons he had gone from sinner to saint after transforming his bad boy image.

The Liverpool striker has enjoyed a remarkable turnaround in his Premier League career, even after missing the first six games of the season for the shame of biting an opponent.

Since he belatedly joined the Reds' party in September after his unprecedented ban, his astonishing run of form has brought 23 goals and made him overwhelming favourite to be crowned Footballer of the Year.

No one would have predicted that after he picked up a record 10-game suspension for attempting to take a chunk out of Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic’s arm at the end of last season.

But in an interview with radio station Sport 890 from his native Uruguay, the 27-year-old explained he had learned an important lesson.

“I’m happy I’ve worked things out and realised certain things,” he said. “If you don’t give food to the press, then there’s nothing they can say about you.

“I’ve been through a lot, and there has been a storm, but I realised that I had to focus on football and less on those things.

“I’ve grown up. I’ve tried hard to think more about things before doing them.

“The people in England don’t talk about me now because I’m not doing anything wrong. They have to talk only about me as a footballer.”

Suarez has been rehabilitated in spectacular style, with critics now lauding his
world-class talent, rather than his world-class ability to attract unsavory headlines.

He has shaken off some of his reputation for diving, having worked hard on his temperament, even if his explosive nature still comes to the fore occasionally.

“You realise certain things as the years pass,” said Suarez. “One of those, for example, is you learn how to relate to referees.

“You become known if you’re constantly complaining. So I’ve learned when you have less ­confrontation, then you’re treated better. I think the club helped me with that – the fans and the players too. It has been difficult for me, but they helped me come through it.”

Not that he has completely lost his edge.

He could not resist a dig at the flak that came his way when found guilty of a racist comment aimed at Manchester United’s Patrice Evra.

“I’ve made only two mistakes in my career,” he said. “My first was when I was playing for Ajax and I bit an opponent. My second was when I bit Ivanovic.

“Those two were my only two mistakes as a footballer. I said I’m sorry and that was it, end of story.

"I’ve nothing else to regret - all the other things were like a movie people in England believed in

“The case with Evra was all false. I was accused without proof. But that’s in the past. I was sad then, but I’m happy today.”

Suarez also revealed fears that his World Cup date of destiny with England could be destroyed by injury.

The hype has already started about the Liverpool striker’s showdown with his adopted nation in Brazil this summer, when his Uruguay side meet Roy Hodgson’s Three Lions in one of the ties of the tournament.

Yet the striker admits he will go into every tackle between now and then dreading the possibility that he could be cruelly robbed of his big moment - especially after seeing star names such as England's Theo Walcott and Radamel Falcao of Colombia struck down already.

“The truth is, I am scared of what happened to Falcao and Walcott,” he admitted. “It is striking. It gives you a little thing at every tackle in every game. But you live in the present and you always give your best for your club - you can’t be thinking about that all the time.

“It is a unique opportunity and we all want to be there, but I prefer to focus my mind on the English league. The moment to think about the national team will arrive later.”

If he does avoid injury, Suarez will surely face England in Sao Paolo on June 19 in a mouthwatering clash that has already got the pulses racing.

But even though the English will fear a striker with 23 Premier League goals already this season, Suarez did try to play down the connection when he added:

“There is a lot of excitement, but the only important thing is that Uruguay win, and not the identity of who is in the team.”