Now that the nation’s sweetheart, Luis Suarez, has managed to escape the evil clutches of the British media by fleeing to Barcelona, he appears to have toned down his soap opera-style theatrics a tad.

The striker has scored 41 goals in 37 appearances for the La Liga club this season and let’s not forget the 19 – yes 19 – assists. This stats are phenomenal. How annoying.

It’s hard to believe that the former Liverpool man was once supposed to come to Arsenal. However, according to him, this would never happen as he couldn’t imagine playing for anyone in England but Liverpool.

“It’s inevitable that people will talk about them trying to sign me, with us facing them in Europe,” he said.

“They are a big club, but it would have been very difficult to play for any team other than Liverpool in England.

“Barcelona was the right choice for me. Yes I have won the treble in my first season, but also my family are very happy in the city. Barcelona was the only choice for me, life is good.”

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LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 22: Luis Suarez smiles during a FC Barcelona training session ahead of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg match against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on February 22, 2016 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)

Speaking about our impending clash against Barcelona to the Express, the 29-year-old actually praised Arsenal, claiming that we deserve respect because we’re one of the best teams in England.

“We are not taking the challenge they are going to give us lightly,” he continued.

“Yes we are playing well and are confident, but Arsenal deserve a lot of respect and we must be focused in both games.

“Arsenal look like they have a very good chance of winning the league this season, they are one of the best teams in England.”

Well, as they say, the proof is in the pudding. If we deserve so much respect, we’ll see if Suarez manages to keep a lid on his usual bite-y tomfoolery.