Liverpool midfielder Joe Allen called Luis Suarez 'a hero and an idol' for his team after his hat-trick in their 4-0 win over Wigan.
The 26-year-old forward is now two strikes ahead of Manchester United's Robin van Persie with 21 league goals in an outstanding personal campaign, despite the fact Brendan Rodgers' seventh-placed side have struggled for consistency this season.
Former Swansea player Allen has heaped praise on Suarez, revealing that the Liverpool squad look to him for inspiration.
Allen even thinks the controversial forward could scoop the PFA Players' Player of the Year award.
"There is not much more you can say about (Suarez) - he is world class and his hat-trick speaks for itself," he told the club's official website.
"His relationship not only with the players he plays with, but also the fans, doesn't really happen that often. He really is a hero and an idol for everyone. The way he is performing for this club, he deserves to be.
"With Luis, you know he is going to conjure something up at any given moment in a game. To have that in your team is enormous. He's always hungry for the ball and to get more goals - you can't really ask for much more."
Despite courting controversy in the past with an eight-game ban for racially abusing Patrice Evra and facing continuous accusations of diving, Allen feels lethal finisher Suarez would be a worthy winner of a PFA award given his stunning season.
"Obviously we're biased as Liverpool players and we're going to want to see him win it, but we'll have to wait and see what unfolds," he said.
Liverpool's chances of qualifying for European football next season are slim, but Allen feels that with more performances like the one at the DW Stadium, the club can build confidence for the future.
"It was a fantastic day for us - we were clinical and with a clean sheet as well, you can't really ask for much more," he continued. "It's definitely up there with our best performances this season, especially when you consider it was away from home as well.
"It bodes well for the future. When you score four goals, you can focus on the way we attacked, but I think the way we defended shows that side of our game is really solid at the moment."
