Published 21:45 28/10/11
By James Nursey
Roy Hodgson has put his West Brom side on alert for Luis Suarez - and he should know, after first identifying the striker as a future Liverpool star when he was Reds manager.
Albion boss Hodgson faces his previous employers, who axed him in January after only six months in charge, in Saturday's tea-time kick-off.
Hodgson was widely criticised on Merseyside, despite taking the helm while unpopular former owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett were selling up.
Now, Hodgson insists he helped set in motion Liverpool's capture of Uruguayan goal machine Suarez, who was eventually bought from Ajax by his successor Kenny Dalglish in January for Ā£22.8million.
Suarez has been one of the stars of the season, and took his goal tally to eight with a superb Carling Cup double at Stoke in midweek.
"Yes, we looked at him," said Hodgson. "But it was at a time the club was in the throes of a change of ownership.
"There was no question of making a bid. It was in between the two transfer windows.
"I went to see him play in a Champions League game against Milan.
"Kenny also saw him play - Kenny was doing a lot of scouting alongside me when I was there - so Suarez was well-researched.
"They took the plunge with Suarez and have been well rewarded. He has been outstandingly good.
"He is playing very well and is a magnificent signing for the club.
"He had the best of all possible starts, which is important when you come to a big club like Liverpool.
"The fans are ready to embrace new players, but they want to see them playing well and Luis Suarez has done that.
"We must be aware that he is going to be a key figure in their attacking play. We have to do our best to keep him quiet but it is not going to be an easy job."
Hodgson insists he harbours no bitterness about his short-lived Reds reign because he quickly returned to management at the Baggies, where he has been successful.
The former Fulham chief added: "I was luckily enough to be given the job there [at Liverpool].
"Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to stay as long as I would have liked - to see the new ownership come in and have a chance to build the team.
"I came in at a period where I knew it might be a little bit turbulent. When things change and new owners come in these things happen.
"But I have no regrets about taking the job.
"Being involved with West Brom has helped me. If I'd have been sitting at home for the last eight or nine months, watching TV, maybe then I might have been guilty of thinking, 'What if?'"
Hodgson says Liverpool's plight was so grave under Hicks and Gillett that the club faced possible administration prior to their takeover by New England Sports Ventures.
"The fact is, when I went in it was a time of transition and the first job for the people who employed me was to make sure the club didn't go into liquidation," he said.
"It didn't get close because of the great job managing director Christian Purslow and chairman Martin Broughton did in being able to find new owners.
"There were major problems with the previous owners not being able to meet the banks' demands and the bank closing the club down.
"Christian and Martin did have an important job on their hands to make certain new owners were found so that the club could move forward, which is what happened."
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