‘Liverpool told me to talk to him’ – Suarez reveals his advice for Reds star during ‘bad time’

Luis Suarez has revealed that he “warned” Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez and “told him what English football was” during his compatriot’s difficult first season at Anfield.

Nunez joined the Reds from Benfica in a club-record deal for £85m in 2022 after the Uruguay international bagged 34 goals in 41 appearances in all competitions the previous season.

The 24-year-old had a bit of a mixed first season at Anfield with Nunez drawing some criticism – but the striker still managed to get 15 goals in 42 matches.

Nunez has started this season in good form for Liverpool with five goals and four assists in 14 appearances in all competitions and Jurgen Klopp has expressed his excitement at the Uruguayan’s “crazy” potential.

Speaking after Nunez scored a stunning winner in their Carabao Cup win over Bournemouth earlier this month, Klopp said: “It is completely different now. The first year was hard for him and then hard for me as well because you see this incredible talent, massive potential, but it is difficult to unfold it.

“I am a manager who can help a player but I need contact for that, it can speed up a process by talking a lot with the player.

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“I was not able to do that because I don’t speak Spanish and he didn’t speak English but his English is now that much better. My Spanish still not.

“But he is settled in the team and when you see him around the building everything is different and he is in a very good moment. It is still only the start for him.

“It’s a good moment, hopefully it continues like that forever. Then I am a bit afraid of the highs he could reach because there is so much there it is crazy.

“But now at least we found the real starting moment and let’s work from here.”

And Suarez has revealed a chat he had with Nunez about his struggles last season with the former Liverpool striker also excited about the form his compatriot is now showing.

“He has potential, technical ability and physical power that he is demonstrating,” Suarez said.

“As a teammate, I am not surprised because I knew, even when he had a bad time in Liverpool last year I spoke to 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.

“Also about the number 9 shirt in the national team, I told him that when I leave I want him to grab it. That’s why, if you listen to Darwin’s statements, he says it with total sincerity.

“As a teammate I am happy for him; I spoke about it internally, and before the game 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 that he is experiencing in his club and in the national team.”