LIVERPOOL striker Luis Suarez has admitted deliberately going to ground in a bid to win a penalty against Stoke earlier this season.

However, he insisted the criticism he received for his controversial recent FA Cup goal against Mansfield was unjust.

Not for the first time, Suarez came under fire after going down theatrically in the penalty area during October’s goalless draw at home to Stoke. Although no spot-kick was given, Potters boss Tony Pulis called the Uruguay forward ‘‘an embarrassment’’.

Suarez has now admitted ‘‘falling’’ in an attempt to win a penalty, telling Fox Sports Argentina: ‘‘Football is like that. Sometimes you do things on the field that later you think ‘why the hell did I do that?’ ‘‘I was accused of falling inside the box in a match, and it’s true I did it that time, because we were drawing against Stoke at home and we needed anything to win it.

‘‘But after that everybody jumped out to talk – the Stoke coach, and the Everton coach... I understood that the name Suarez sells (papers).’’ Suarez was back in the spotlight recently following his handball in the build-up to his goal against Mansfield in the FA Cup third round.

He said: ‘‘A ball hit my hand with no intention at all, and everybody criticised me because I kissed my wrist.

Suarez sells.’’ He also believes foreign players are treated differently in England: ‘‘It’s a cultural thing. They have different behaviours.

We fought to be here, and suffered a lot to be here. We shouldn’t listen to any nonsense they say now.’’