Luis Suarez shared a heartwarming moment with former Liverpool team-mate Glen Johnson’s son Kobi while at Inter Miami’s training complex in Fort Lauderdale.
The now 39-year-old Uruguayan was at the ground for the Messi Cup, a youth tournament the MLS side is hosting, and spotted Kobi Johnson lining up with the rest of the Chelsea Under-14s, who are competing in the United States.
The former Liverpool and Barcelona striker went over to the youngster and said: ‘I used to play with your dad, I’ve known you since you were little.’
The one-time Champions League winner then smiled for a photograph with the youngster – though it wasn’t clear if the starlet actually knew who he was.
When asked about the chance encounter, teenage Johnson said: ‘He (Suarez) just said like, he remembers when I was a little boy and I was quite chubby, and then he asked for a photo.’
Johnson has been at Chelsea from the under-eights and has risen through the ranks, steadily gaining a reputation as a seriously exciting young talent.
Suarez shared a sweet moment with Glen Johnson’s son Kobi at Inter Miami’s training ground in the US
Kobi Johnson is currently on the books at Chelsea where he is tipped to follow his father into professional football
Suarez and Johnson spent four seasons together at Liverpool between 2011 and 2015
And it is clear to see where he gets it from with his father Glen having played 357 Premier League games at Chelsea, Liverpool, Portsmouth and Stoke, even winning the league with Chelsea in 2005 and 2006.
It was at Liverpool, however, where the right-back played with Suarez for four seasons between 2011 and 2015, when the pair were part of a memorable Liverpool team that narrowly missed out on the title back in 2014 after the famous ‘Gerrard slip’.
Nowadays 42-year-old Johnson is enjoying his retirement after leaving the professional game for good in 2018, whereas Suarez is still plying his trade in America at Inter Miami alongside other Barcelona legends like Sergio Busquets and of Lionel Messi.
While they were at together, Suarez was accused of racially abusing former Manchester United left-back Patrice Evra in a Premier League grudge match between the two clubs in 2011.
Suarez was subsequently banned for eight matches after it was adjudged that he had used racist language towards Evra.
But Johnson controversially publicly defended him at the time and has since stuck to his words while other members of the squad, namely Jamie Carragher, have apologised to Evra for backing Suarez.
Speaking on talkSPORT in 2019 Johnson said: ‘Carra was right to apologise and I’d have to agree with him; I think the timing of it was wrong as the ban was so close.
‘But in the club’s defence, they were just trying to support one of their players.
‘I don’t think anyone in that dressing room or at the club believed Luis was racist or capable of being racist.’
