The Spanish striker, who played with the Uruguayan at Ajax, has defended his former team-mate’s character and feels the incident has been blown out of proportion

Albert Luque has backed Liverpool’s Luis Suarez as the fall-out from his bite on Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic rumbles on.

Uruguay international Suarez has accepted a charge of violent conduct from the Football Association and is expected to be issued with a lengthy ban which could well end his season.

Former Ajax and Deportivo la Coruna striker Luque, who spent two years with Suarez at the Amsterdam Arena, was involved in a dressing room altercation with the striker in his time in the Dutch Capital, but believes Suarez is a misunderstood character.

He told The Metro: “We were good friends before and after this incident and it was the only time I ever had a problem with him. He is a good guy, and we all make mistakes.

“He fights for everything, he’s very physical, and what happened with Ivanovic was unfortunate, but I’m sure he didn’t do it with any bad intentions or in bad faith.”

Suarez was banned for seven games for committing a similar offence against PSV Eindhoven’s Otman Bakkal in November 2010 – an act which spelled the end of his time in the Netherlands.

But although many have called for Liverpool to sell the controversial forward, Luque believes that would be a mistake on the part of the Merseyside club.

“In the Premier League everything is exaggerated a lot and perhaps this is getting more coverage because it’s not the first time something like this has happened to Luis,” he added.

“There’s no need to give more importance to it. He has said sorry and that’s for the better. It is just an anecdote.

“If he left Liverpool they would find it tough to find someone of the same quality as him.”