Stewart Downing can't wait to play alongside Luis Suarez this season in a team he thinks has the potential to be 'the real deal'.

The winger arrived from Aston Villa in the summer and has admired from afar how Suarez has adapted so quickly to the Premier League.

Downing believes the Uruguayan is the sort of player who excites all real football fans.

"When he gets the ball you never know what he is going to do," Downing said in an interview in this week's LFC magazine. "Suarez always shows a desire to get forward and attack, to do something different. He plays the kind of football fans want to watch.

"Since he's come here, he's really took to it - probably better than most foreign players. He's settled instantly. He'll be a huge player for the club over the next few years."

It's not just the players that give Downing cause for optimism. He believes the club made a very wise decision to bring Kenny Dalglish back as manager in January.

"I remember seeing the 3-0 win over Man City and thinking 'Liverpool, they could be the real deal.' Bringing him [Dalglish] was the right appointment at the time. With everything that had happened over the previous 18 months or so, it was the perfect opportunity for him to come in.

"You heard a few people questioning the decision [because of Dalglish's absence from management for the previous 10 years]. I disagreed with that. When you have played and managed at the highest level like he has, you never lose it."

The full Stewart Downing interview is in this week's new-look LFC magazine. PLUS: Free matchday programme given away with every issue.