Darwin Nunez: Liverpool star says Mohamed Salah phone call changed everything | OneFootball

Darwin Nunez’s Liverpool career to date has been quite the rollercoaster.

After signing for the Reds in what could potentially rise to a club record £85 million fee, the eyes of the world were fixed firmly on the 23-year-old as he turned out in pre-season.

Naturally, Nunez felt the pressure and some shoddy finishing and clumsy play followed as he struggled to adapt to his new surroundings and teammates.

The unforgiving world of social media swiftly became rife with Nunez fail compilations and the youngster became the laughingstock of the summer transfer window acquisitions.

And although things changed ever so slightly when Nunez scored in the Community Shield win over Manchester City, a red card on his first start against Crystal Palace de-railed all momentum built up from that day.

Upon his return from suspension, Nunez drew a blank in his next five appearances.

He clearly wasn’t comfortable in his new environment and looked like a deer in the headlights at times, especially when presented with a scoring opportunity.

However. in his last three games for the Reds, Nunez has turned things around and besides looking like a real threat, has also contributed three goals to the cause.

In an interview with ESPN Uruguay, he’s credited Mohamed Salah for helping to restore his confidence.

What did Salah do to help Nunez?

Per The Mirror, Salah reportedly called Nunez for a chat one day and sought to pass on some wisdom on overcoming the challenges of joining a new club.

“Salah is an excellent player and an excellent person,” Nunez said.

“When I arrived in the pre-season, I was talking to him, we had Fabinho as a translator. In those first games I was very nervous, I had arrived without training, and things didn’t work out for me.

“Then Mohamed called me to talk, he told me that I had to be calm because I was new, that I was just adapting to the club.

This is Pathetic (The Football Terrace)

“He told me that he also went through that moment, that when he arrived in 2017, he did not know English, and he told me that I was going to learn it, that now I should be calm.

“He told me that I should do what I did at Benfica, that my potential was important for the team and that I had his support and that of the captains.”

It’s a truly brilliant gesture from Salah and one that’s clearly helped both Nunez and the team.

Nunez has scored in his last three starts and the Reds felt his absence in their last game, which he missed through injury, as they tasted defeat against Nottingham Forest.

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