London, Nov. 3    : Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has said that the sudden Premier League clampdown on ‘diving’ is proof that Luis Suárez’s critics have unfairly scapegoated the South American striker.

Liverpool have felt all the attention has been on Suárez during the recent frenzy about players going to ground too easily, but Rodgers thinks the scope has now widened as both English and overseas players have been shown to be guilty of the offence.

After Suárez was accused of turning supporters off football, it was Chelsea’s Fernando Torres, Everton’s Phil Neville and Swansea’s Angel Rangel who were punished by match officials for simulation.

“This will be the ongoing debate and now people will see that it’s an issue at every club. Angel Rangel was booked against Manchester City for diving and I worked with him for two years and he’s one of the most honest people I’ve come across in my life,” The Telegraph quoted Rodgers, as saying.

“Phil Neville plays for Everton, he’s 35 and over the years you would consider him to be an honest pro but he gets booked for diving after his manager has read out the riot act to his players by all accounts, and other people''s players,” headed.

Rodgers suspects much of the attention on Suárez is a combination of gamesmanship - rival managers trying to alert the referees attention prior to a match, and also an effort to unsettle the player as he is perceived as Liverpool’s biggest threat, the paper said. (ANI)