Liverpool icon Luis Suarez has revealed a story about Darwin Nunez crying in the dressing room, insisting the 25-year-old needs ‘affection and support’.
Suarez, who scored 82 goals in 133 games for the Reds from 2011 to 2014, knows Nunez very well from their time playing together for the Uruguay national team.
The Inter Miami striker has now described one particular incident, occurring on international duty, which saw Nunez face criticism from manager Marcelo Bielsa.
Bielsa singled out Nunez at half-time in front of the rest of the squad and Suarez, 37, stepped in to offer his support to the current Liverpool forward.
‘I saw Darwin crying and I told him, ‘You are here because of your own merit, because of how hard you work, you are a goalscorer and you are the best’,’ Suarez told De Fútbol Se Habla Así.
‘You have to continue like this, forget about what others say. Wash your face, go out and smash it.
‘That is why when he scored the goal, I was the first one he greeted. For me, Darwin needs affection, support and containment, not anything else.
‘I met the coach in the hallway and he told me, ‘We are not helping him with those things’ – I was taken aback… and I told him that I had to support him.
‘After the win, Bielsa greeted me and said, ‘You know what happens? If I don’t talk to him like that… You saw what he ran in the second half’ – and I told him that my part was to contain him.’
Liverpool paid £85m to sign Nunez from Portuguese side Benfica in the summer of 2022.
Nunez has played 103 games for Liverpool to date, conjuring up 34 goals and 18 assists.
He was an unused substitute in Liverpool’s 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace last time out.
Nunez will be hoping to feature in Liverpool’s next match, after the international break, when they host Chelsea on October 20.