Luis Suarez has issued a statement thanking everybody connected with Liverpool for the support they have shown him in recent weeks.

The Uruguayan will miss the next eight Premier League matches after it was confirmed that Liverpool will not be appealing the suspension handed to him for racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra.

"Thank you to my family, my friends and everybody at LFC (the staff, manager and coaching staff, the directors, my teammates and everyone who is working on a daily basis for this great club) and thank you especially to all the fans who made sure I never felt let down for one second," Suarez said in a statement.

"Like many of you I was born into a very humble family, in a working class neighbourhood, in a small country. But I was born and raised learning what respect, manners and sacrifice mean.

"Never, I repeat, never, have I had any racial problem with a teammate or individual who was of a different race or colour to mine. Never."

Suarez's ban will start tonight against Manchester City.