Oscar Wilde once said that the ‘only difference between the saint and the sinner is that every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future.’ The quote epitomizes Liverpool’s Luis Suarez, who in a record breaking season has redeemed himself to the Merseyside faithful. Nearly a year ago, Suarez was labeled the ultimate footballing pariah after biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic. The crisis threatened to consume the Uruguayan, who, aside from being given a 10 game ban by The FA, was nearly driven out of the English game. The British press went after the striker with a fierce intensity and assassinated his character in a blood thirsty manner.

Somehow he survived the media maelstrom and is now currently enjoying the best season of his career.  His resilience confirms that Luis Suarez the sinner, and the man so many people love to hate, has one the brightest futures in world soccer.

At the time of writing, Liverpool sit in second place in the Premier League and remain on the cusp of claiming their first league title in 22 years. Irrespective of whether they win the league or not, Suarez will play in the UEFA Champions League next season. It is a stage he craves and one that his talent deserves. On a personal level, things couldn’t get much better for Suarez, who will surely be the frontrunner for all the domestic ‘Player of the Year’ awards.

Suarez currently sits on 29 Premier League goals, despite only having played 27 games. The Uruguayan has arguably surpassed fellow Anfield legend Robbie Fowler for the most prolific season by a Liverpool player in the Premier League era. Prior to catching fire and finding the form of his life, Suarez had to work hard to find redemption from the Anfield faithful. In the aftermath of the infamous Ivanovic incident, he soured relations by threatening to leave Liverpool. Those tense times are now a distant memory and Suarez is once again one of the fan favorites. The Kop have shown their capacity to forgive and forget the transgressions of the past. Although forgiving is easier when the talent is elite and the future seems promising.

Unfortunately, many within the soccer world are unable or unwilling to move on. In the eyes of his detractors, his reputation will be forever tarnished by the unsavory racism saga involving Manchester United’s Patrice Evra and the biting debacles he has twice been involved in his career.

To be fair to his critics, Suarez has rightly received widespread condemnation for his actions, which have no place on a football pitch, or anywhere else for that matter. However, one must realize that with players such as Suarez, who walk on the edge between brilliance and madness. There will always be a danger and at a moments notice they can fall off with devastating results. The amazing passion he has for the game is the defining factor of his success and is so often a positive force but, on the other hand, when harnessed in the wrong way it manifests itself in a negative and harmful manner.

It is easy for people to fall prey to the many popular misconceptions about Suarez. They are pedaled by the media via the countless articles that have portrayed him as a footballing pariah. However, in a recent interview with Four Four Two Magazine, Suarez helped shatter some of the myths perpetuated by the negative press. For instance, it may surprise you to hear that Suarez has been totally devoted to one woman, his beloved wife Sofia, for his entire adult life- they have been together since he was 16 years old. He is clearly a humble human being and a very proud father who values, above all else, family life and privacy as opposed to partying and off the field idiocy. All of his problems have stemmed from moments of madness on the pitch- never has he suffered any adverse publicity in his private life, which is more than can be said for many Premier League footballers.

“Away from the pitch, I’m a very calm person. On the pitch, I argue, I shout, I talk rubbish and generally do anything I can to get ahead. I’m totally different. I forget about everything else.”

He seems to have a bit of Jekyll and Hyde about his personality. The moment he crosses the white line he changes from Luis Suarez, the devoted, fun loving family man into ‘El Pistolero’ (The Gunslinger): a cold blooded assassin with the dead eyed stare and killer instincts to match even the most infamous sharp shooters. Yet his win at all costs mentality and on the pitch persona could not be further removed from the charming and disarming character he is away from the field of play.

His international team mate Diego Forlan echoes the same sentiments when he commented that on the pitch Suarez is, “an aguerrido- a warrior, a soldier who has been through war, a fighter for every ball.”

“He still is, but there is another side to him. From when I first started speaking to him I could see he was polite, respectful and keen to learn. He’s a very nice guy who is completely different off the pitch to on it.”

Instead of vilifying Suarez for his flaws, we should try and accept his imperfections and embrace the fact that he can oscillate from the sublime to the bizarre in the blink of an eye. Sure, Suarez does have the penchant for provocative and oft time’s controversial behavior but, without this edge he would not be so prone to the moments of sheer footballing genius he consistently produces.

In short, the Premier League is a far more exciting place with the presence of Luis Suarez and he would be sorely missed if he elected to leave English football. So, if in the future Suarez reveal his dark side once again try and remember that the ‘only difference between the saint and the sinner is that every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future.’

At times, this week’s Champions League encounter between Manchester United and Bayer Leverkusen was a closely fought contest. But the difference in world class quality ultimately made the contest a convincing win for David Moyes’ men in the end.

And no one was more instrumental than the rejuvenated Wayne Rooney. The player, subject of such intense media scrutiny and transfer speculation throughout the whole summer, turned in a technically peerless performance to suggest that he once again feels at home at Old Trafford. And didn’t the fans just revel in the revival of their prodigal son. He received a richly deserved and rapturous ovation when he was substituted.

Rooney’s contribution was tangible by two fine goals and an assist that capped off a wonderful individual display on a night where the England man joined an elite group of only four former players to score 200 goals or more for Manchester United.

However, it is Rooney’s intangible qualities that will be just as crucial to Manchester United as the measurable contribution of his goals and assists. He is a natural born leader, a warrior of a player who embodies passion, desire, determination and a commitment to the cause which has characterized United greats of recent times from Bobby Charlton to Roy Keane to Eric Cantona.

Yet, despite spearheading the club for the past decade to a series of titles, he still remains relatively unappreciated by some. But you can be rest assured that Robin van Persie fully appreciates his partner’s contribution. Like the fans, he too must be so relieved that Rooney is still pulling on the red shirt of Manchester United, as without him there is no one else who has the capacity to complement the genius of the Flying Dutchman. Witness the England star’s sumptuous pass for Van Persie’s goal of the season screamer against Aston Villa last season for evidence.

Like those aforementioned luminaries of United’s rich heritage, Rooney — when fit and in the right frame of mind — is the heartbeat of Manchester United’s team, the sort of player who makes the current side far greater than the sum of its parts.

Even with the addition of Marouane Felliani, United still probably have the poorest midfield out of the Premier league’s elite. A classic case in point is Tom Cleverley, who — although a solid Premier League player — would get nowhere near the starting 11 of any other top four club. Yet he almost always plays for the champions, who continue to churn out titles most seasons. This is in spite of myriad observers; including many of the clubs own fans, who regularly bemoan the squad’s lack of strength and depth and prudent transfer policy, which incidentally has allowed the club to amass a net profit of £146million from the twelve months to June.

But the sheer presence of players like Rooney rouses players like Cleverley, and the rest of his teammates, to reach a new level. The effect of a rampaging Rooney seizing the initiative and stamping his authority on big games is contagious. It serves to inspire those around him to raise their game to a level that may belie their actual ability.

This influence Rooney has on the rest of his teammates cannot be overstated, which is one of the main motives why Mourinho pursued him so relentlessly throughout the summer. The new Chelsea manager has a wealth of attacking options, whose sheer talent and ability are all pretty much on a par with England’s no. 10. But The Special One marvels in the immeasurable gifts of the precocious forward and appreciates the effect these intangible traits have on the collective morale and performance of a team.

Crucially, though, Moyes faith in the intangible worth of his 27 year old talisman, which convinced Wayne Rooney to remain at Manchester United, may in fact prove to be the most tangible difference in the title race this season.