BRENDAN RODGERS admits Luis Suarez deserves to be gracing the Champions League – but the manager doesn’t believe the striker’s future will hinge on where Liverpool finish this season.

The Reds’ top scorer is expected to attract interest from rival clubs this summer after a stunning campaign which has seen him plunder 25 goals.

However, during a recent meeting with the Uruguayan and his agent Rodgers was reassured about Suarez’s ongoing commitment to the cause.

Asked if he thought Suarez would stay at Anfield even if Liverpool don’t secure European qualification, Rodgers said: “At this stage, I believe so yes.

“Luis has been brilliant this year but I haven’t seen anything different that would make me feel he wouldn’t be here.

“I had a great conversation with his agent a couple of weeks ago. He came in and rolled it out that he was so happy here and he was keen over the next couple of years for the club to progress.

“I was talking about the future and development and he was reciprocal in his conversation that he is loving it here. I’ve made Luis one of my architects within the group. Him and I communicate a lot so I get a feeling. Is he deserving of that Champions League level? Of course he is. He certainly deserves to be on that stage. Steven Gerrard deserves to be as well. We have a number of other players that deserve to be as well.

“But I would be confident enough that Luis will be here (next season) because he is enjoying his football. You only need to look at how he is playing. This is a club that he loves.

“His desire is to see Liverpool progress and that is why he signed (a new deal) last summer. I don’t feel or see anything different that would change my mind.

“If we can keep supporting him and getting the team moving forward then he seems content. Hopefully we continue to keep a great player like that.”

Rodgers is hoping Suarez, who he believes should be crowned PFA Players’ Player of the Year, can help lead the Reds on a late-season charge – starting at Wigan tomorrow – as they look to climb into a European place.

“There’s many great players in this league but for me Luis has been absolutely outstanding,” he added.

“This is a guy who had to play up front on his own as the only striker we had for six months and never missed a day of training. He played every minute of every game and his performances have spoken for themselves.

“As a team, we’ve been brilliant at times this season and inconsistent at others. If we can come up with that consistency over these closing months and finish as high as we possibly can, it will provide a springboard for next season.”