Barca's Luis Suarez endorsed by club legend Luis Suarez

BARCELONA (Reuters) - Barcelona's Uruguay forward Luis Suarez has been given a ringing endorsement by one of the Catalan club's legendary players following his debut Barca goal on Tuesday -- his namesake Luis Suarez. The elder Suarez played for Barca in the 1950s and early 60s, winning France Football's Ballon d'Or in 1960 before moving to Inter Milan, where he helped the Serie A side win back-to-back European Cups in 1964 and 1965. Known as "the golden Galician" after the region where he was born, the 79-year-old was also part of the Spain side that won the nation's first international title on home soil at the 1964 European Championship. Speaking to Barca TV after the younger Suarez netted the opener in Tuesday's 4-0 Champions League Group F game at APOEL Nicosia, his first goal since joining from Liverpool in the close season, Suarez said the 27-year-old was "an important signing for Barca". "He is a key player in any team because apart from scoring a lot of goals he is a winner and he has character," Suarez said, jokingly adding "with that name he cannot fail". "He has always scored a lot of goals and now he won't stop because he is at his peak." Suarez needed six matches to open his Barca account after he made his official debut in the 'Clasico' defeat at Real Madrid at the end of October. The match at Real's Bernabeu stadium fell the day after his four-month ban for sinking his teeth into an opponent at the World Cup expired, the third time he had been sanctioned for a biting offence. Barca's next outing is a La Liga game at Valencia on Sunday. They are second in the standings after 12 matches, two points behind leaders Real. (Writing by Iain Rogers, editing by Toby Davis)