DARWIN NUNEZ has revealed the blunt advice he received from his countryman Luis Suarez after his horror home debut.
The striker was sent off after head-butting Crystal Palace defender Joachim Andersen on his first appearance at Anfield for Liverpool.
The moment came after great goals against Manchester City in the Community Shield and Fulham on the opening weekend of the Premier League season.
It represented the inconsistent start to life in England that Nunez has had, but he received some advice from another Uruguayan whose already followed this path.
Former Liverpool striker Suarez reached out to the forward to offer him some advice after the sending off.
Nunez told ESPN: “It was a good thing because not many bother to pick up the phone and send you a message, I think his gesture was very important to me. Luis is a benchmark, an idol around the world.
“I’m just starting out, I’m young, and he knows all these things because he’s even played in the Premier League with Liverpool.Â
“Luis told me that these things in the Premier are going to happen in all the games, that they are going to come looking for me, that they are going to hit me, and that I must become strong and I must not repeat the shit he sent me.Â
“‘Listen to an asshole like me’, he told me. I am very grateful for that message and the love it has for me.”
Long before Nunez arrived on the scene, Suarez used to regularly make headlines on Merseyside for the right and wrong reasons.
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Along with outrageous goal-scoring exploits, the now 35-year-old was regularly embroiled in scandal.
The striker was once banned for 10 games after biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic at Anfield.
He also faced accusations of diving and was involved in a divisive race row with Manchester United‘s Patrice Evra.
Nunez has enjoyed a far less controversial time of it since returning from suspension – and has even begun adding goals to his game.
He has scored four times in his last seven games in all competitions as he looks to drag Liverpool back to form.
But the ex-Benfica man was left red-faced after missing an open goal against Ajax earlier this week.
