Luis Suarez may have added to his value based on his Liverpool form this season, but the man who discovered the star claims that the striker proved adept at adding figures of a different kind as a youngster.

Wilson Pirez, who scouted the future marksman as a nine-year-old, reflected on the emergence of his former protege and commented that Suarez displayed equal promise in a classroom as he did on a football pitch.

He told The Mirror: "I always remember that Luis loved maths. He never complained about homework when it was maths because he enjoyed it.

"It would have been a crime if he had grown up to be anything other than a ­professional football player but, if he hadn't taken that path, I think he could have been a very successful accountant."

The Reds have certainly profited from the Uruguay international's rich vein of form this season, with Suarez helping the club to fourth in the Premier League table by hitting 19 goals.

Brendan Rodgers's men can move up to second should they beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge this afternoon.