Former Liverpool striker Luis Suarez was reduced to tears as he said his final farewell to Nacional on Sunday.
The Uruguayan forward re-signed for his former club in the summer and enjoyed a dream return having lifted the title, their third success in the last four years. Ironically, the Montevideo outfit secured the title against their cross-city rivals Liverpool - the namesake of the Merseyside giants.
Despite his major success, Suarez is not set to stay in his homeland with it already having been announced that he will bid farewell to the club at the end of his contract. He was given the chance to say a few words to the club’s supporters as they toasted their success at the weekend.
In tears, the now 35-year-old said: "It's a goodbye, I'm not going to play [here] again, but I will return to the club at some point. The time has come and first of all I want to thank you for everything. As I said some time ago, I was coming back because of you [the fans] and because I wanted to come back.
"Each one of you must continue to be proud that we are at a world-class level and people talk about what Nacional's fans have done, and that is your merit."
He continued: "I want to thank my teammates. I take with me the memory of everyone and I want to thank these three wonderful beauties [his children] that my wife gave me.
"It is a dream come true to see me become champion with the jersey with which I was born."
Where do you think Luis Suarez will go after leaving Nacional? Share your thoughts in the comments below
It now remains to be seen what Suarez’s future holds as he searches for another club in the twilight of his career. The former Ajax, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid frontman is set to represent his nation in the upcoming World Cup in Qatar.
It has previously been suggested that a return to European football is at the forefront of Suarez’s mind but a switch to MLS has also long been mooted.
The striker’s former colleague and close friend Lionel Messi has also been linked with a move to the United States on a number of occasions in the past with David Beckham's Inter Miami among the contenders for his services. The Argentine’s contract with French giants Paris Saint-Germain expires at the end of the current campaign and is apparently set to open talks over his future after the World Cup.
Messi and Suarez enjoyed great success during their spells together at the Camp Nou between 2014 and 2020. They won four La Liga titles, the Champions League, four Copas del Rey and a whole host of other trophies as teammates in Catalonia before Suarez departed for Atletico Madrid.
