Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Keifer MacDonald

Luis Suarez reveals Darwin Nunez 'mistakes' talks and makes exciting Liverpool prediction

Luis Suarez has admitted he is in regular contact with Darwin Nunez in the hope his guidance will help the Liverpool summer signing avoid making the same mistakes as he did during his time at Anfield.

Suarez made the deadline-day move to Liverpool from Ajax in January 2011, just hours after Fernando Torres completed a record transfer to Chelsea.

Despite his brilliance nearly ending the club's 25-year wait for a league title in his final season on Merseyside, Suarez's time at the cub was overshadowed by controversy as he was banned for a total of eight games after being found guilty of racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra in April 2011, before being slapped with a 10-game ban for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic just two years later.

READ MORE: Liverpool given Jude Bellingham 'boost' as Real Madrid transfer stance emerges

READ MORE: Steve Ballmer 'stance' on Liverpool sale emerges from new reports in USA

Since departing the Reds and sealing a dream move to La Liga giants Barcelona in 2014, the 35-year-old has gone on record countless times to voice his discontent at the way he believes he was targeted during his three-and-a-half years in England.

But now, 11 years on, the former Liverpool fans' favourite has revealed he is willing to share his experiences of his all-encompassing spell in the Premier League in the hope that Nunez will avoid making the "mistakes" he did.

“Nunez is now playing for Liverpool like I knew he would," Suarez told the Mirror. “He has exploded - and I am sure there will be many goals and trophies for him there. I speak with him regularly. I want him to help him, for him to learn from my mistakes."

Nunez followed in the footsteps of his compatriot when he became just the third Uruguayan to play for the Reds, in a deal that could end up costing the club a record sum of £85m. The 23-year-old impressed during a two-year stint with Liga Primera giants Benfica, specifically in the last season's Champions League, where he scored home and away against Jurgen Klopp's side Liverpool in the quarter-finals.

However, Nunez made a difficult start to life on Merseyside as he was shown a red card on his first start for the club after headbutting Crystal Palace defender Joachim Andersen, who had ignited the forward's fuse after a string of heavy-handed off-the-ball challenges.

And even after his return from suspension, and taking his time to acclimatise to Klopp's way of playing with and without the ball, a social media trend against the 23-year-old followed that led to him prematurely being labelled as a failure. That, however, is something he has been quick to disprove in the weeks and months since.

After finding the back of the net against Arsenal in early October, Nunez has bagged seven goals in 10 games for the Reds and is already close to double figures for his new side - with his goals against Manchester City and Fulham back in August taking his tally to nine.

In recent weeks, Liverpool boss Klopp has deployed his new signing as a left-winger, a position he is expected to play for Uruguay at the World Cup in Qatar as he caters for Edinson Cavani and Suarez, who boast an incredible 267 international caps between them.

“You always want to do well at a World Cup," added Suarez, previewing La Celeste's chance of winning a third World Cup. "But for many of us, we are realistic and know this will probably be our final appearances in the competition.

“Myself, Cavani, Godin, this will be our last time and we want to make it count. To play in four World Cups is a dream - but we hope this will be the most special one yet."

Suarez added: “It is always hard to talk about favourites - but of course, it is our dream to reach the final and I think South American teams will be strong in the tournament. There is Brazil, of course, but Argentina is very strong as well."

Uruguay are placed in Group H and face South Korea on Thursday, before games against Portugal and Ghana.

READ NEXT:

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.