Words of wisdom from Suarez helped Nunez overcome tough start at Liverpool

Luis Suarez has opened up on the conversation he had with Darwin Nunez last season when the young striker was struggling to adjust to a new country and league.

At first glance, there was little doubt that the 24 year-old was blessed with a unique skillset, but it was just as clear that there was a rawness to his game and in many ways he was still learning his trade.

His debut season had its share of peaks and troughs but at the end of a difficult campaign for the Reds, there was a school of thought that wondered if he was a good fit for this Liverpool team.

Moving on to the current season and the Uruguayan looks a completely different player, scoring seven goals and added five assists in 17 games (all comps), playing with confidence and unshackled from the burden of expectation that comes from being the "big summer signing."

The striker seems to excel in making the difficult look exceedingly easy and then missing opportunities that you would expect him to finish with no issues at all.

Still that is what makes him the player he is, and just like his mentor, Nunez has quickly earned a big following amongst the Reds faithful.

Speaking to AUF TV (via the Mirror), Suarez passed on some supporting words when they had a heart to heart talk.

“He has potential, technical ability and physical power that he is demonstrating. As a teammate (at national level), 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 It 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.”

“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."

One person who has clearly seen a change in Nunez is his manager at club level in Jurgen Klopp.

The language barrier was a considerable issue with Nunez admitting early on in that he did not understand the instructions from the manager.

But just like his form, Klopp recently confirmed that things are a whole lot better on that front.

“The first year was hard for him, and hard for me as well because you see this incredible talent, with massive potential, but it’s difficult to unfold it, because I’m a manager who needs contact to help a player.

“It can speed up the process by talking a lot with a player. I was not able to do that because I don’t speak Spanish and he didn’t speak English.

“His English is now much better – my Spanish is still not. But he’s settled in the team, when you see him around in the building everything is different”

While scoring goals is undoubtedly a key factor in the success of a striker, so too is what they do without the ball, in pressing the opposition and winning back possession for their team, a element that made Roberto Firmino so good.

Speaking after the Brentford win, Klopp said that Nunez is much improved in that part of his game.

“Standout in this defending was really Darwin because it's all about [that] Brentford wants to play long balls, that's one thing, but you need to know when, and we can only influence that by one player, when you start the pressing from the centre you have to go for the goalie without getting the ball, they pass to the centre-half and you follow that, so the work-rate was insane.”