Luis Suarez shares what Liverpool asked him privately about Darwin Nunez last season
Liverpool asked Luis Suarez to speak to Darwin Nunez about his early form with the Reds.
Nunez initially struggled to settle at Anfield last season. Although he still hit 15 goals in all competitions, the 24-year-old was visibly lacking confidence.
This year has been a different story. With Nunez looking happy and revitalised, big improvements have come on this pitch. And speaking to ESPN Argentina this week, it seems Liverpool great Suarez might have had something to do with the turnaround.
“I told Darwin about [taking] the number 9 [for Uruguay] in Qatar and we always talked about it before,” began the Gremio striker. “He has a potential, a technical ability and a physical power that is proving it.
“I, as a teammate, am not surprised because I knew, until last year when he had a bad time in Liverpool I spoke with him, in Liverpool they told me to talk to him. I warned him and told him what English football was. He, with the heart he has, opened up and told me what had happened to him at that moment, we talked about it. I told him that when I leave I want him to take it.
“That’s why, if you listen to Darwin’s statements, he says it with total sincerity. As a colleague, I’m happy for him; I was talking about it internally, and before the match with Brazil. These are things that we are happy about as teammates, we are different, we are from different generations, and I am happy for the moment he is living in his club and in the national team.”
Suarez reveals Nunez chat
It’s no surprise to hear that Suarez has been talking to and guiding Nunez during his time at Liverpool. In fact, this isn’t the first time the 37-year-old has publicly shown himself to be doing so, either.
But it is interesting to hear that Liverpool themselves reached out and asked Luis for his help.
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It’s probable that Suarez was already offering it anyway. The two have been teammates with Uruguay even before Darwin moved to Liverpool, and the veteran’s own Anfield history will likely have given him an even bigger connection to the younger man.
Nevertheless, for the Reds to take the step to ask their former No.7 is quite interesting. When you’ve got the ear of one of the greatest forwards of a generation, you better well use it.
So far, it looks like Nunez is doing just that. He’s still far from perfect, as seen in recent glaring misses against Toulouse and Luton Town. But he’s getting there.
This weekend was another example of just how far the former Benfica man has come. He wasn’t on the scoresheet against Brentford, but he just about ran the show.
From setting up Mohamed Salah’s opener to having two superb finishes ruled out for offside, Nunez was at the heart of everything Liverpool did.
10 years ago Suarez was haring around Anfield doing exactly the same. It’s still too early to say whether Darwin will ever reach those levels. But with Luis on his side, he’s got a much better chance of doing so.
