Luis Suarez lauded fellow Uruguayan attacker Darwin Nunez with high praise following the nation’s 3-0 win over Bolivia.

The Gremio attacker labelled his teammate ‘one of the best No.9s in the world’ after registering a classy double in their latest World Cup qualifier.

“I have one of the best No.9s in the world up front, which is Darwin and I have to applaud and enjoy him,” the former Red was quoted as saying by El Observador.

The result sees La Celeste remain in second place, two points behind leaders Argentina, in the South American group.

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READ MORE: ‘Unstoppable’: What national media said about 24-year-old Liverpool player’s display last night

Deserved praise for the Liverpool striker

The stats underline Nunez’s impressive improvement on the 2022/23 campaign. The former Penarol man has registered 13 goal contributions in 17 games (872 minutes) this term.

To put that into context, that’s just over 68% of his total tally secured across the prior season (19) achieved in under half the number of games (42) and almost a third of the minutes played (2,365).

His goal contribution rate of one every 67.07 minutes this year also far outstrips last year’s rate of one every 124.47 minutes.

The proof is in the pudding for one of the globe’s most exciting attacking properties.

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Darwin Nunez is truly savouring the limelight at the moment with another stellar performance recorded during the international break.

‘La Pantera’, as he is affectionately known, was on target twice against Bolivia in a 3-0 World Cup qualifying win.

His latest outing had national media purring, with Spanish outlet AS (via El Observador) describing the 24-year-old as ‘unstoppable’ and adding: “The Liverpool striker fleeces Bolivia and confirms his exceptional moment of form.”

Bolivian paper La Razon (via El Observador) said: “The Bolivian team was surpassed by the best team in South America today. The eyes were taken by La Verde’s top scorer.”

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Luis Suarez put it best

To think that only a year ago the former Benfica striker was subjected to an endless stream of abuse over his opening season in England.

How quickly things can change!

Luis Suarez ultimately put it best when he described the Liverpool forward as ‘one of the best No.9s in the world up front’, adding ‘I have to applaud and enjoy him’, in comments relayed by El Observador.

Nunez’s timing couldn’t be better either only a few days ahead of our crunch league meeting with incumbent champions Manchester City.

Bring it on, we say.

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There may have been eight years between Luis Suarez leaving Liverpool and Darwin Nunez coming to Anfield, and a 12-year age gap between the pair, but the careers of the two strikers seem firmly interwoven with one another.

Aside from both being all-action leaders of the forward line for the Reds, they are teammates for Uruguay and both featured in last night’s World Cup qualifying win over Bolivia.

The 24-year-old netted twice in his country’s 3-0 win, taking his tally to five goals in his last four caps (Transfermarkt), before being replaced by the ex-LFC and Barcelona veteran on 73 minutes.

After the final whistle in Montevideo, Suarez and Nunez exchanged a friendly few words with each other, the elder of the two wearing a beaming smile throughout as his younger compatriot took in the moment.

Liverpool fans can but imagine what a thrill it could’ve been if the pair’s Anfield careers overlapped and they were playing in the same Reds team every week…

You can view the clip of Suarez and Nunez below, taken from AUF TV’s coverage and shared via @LFCZA on X (formerly Twitter):

"anyway… I snuck into his office later that month and found all three envelopes. Opened them and all three had his name!" pic.twitter.com/gMsopAUh6z

— LFCZA (@LFCZA) November 22, 2023

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Luis Suarez knows better than most about how to settle into life in Liverpool as a Uruguayan forward and it appears he’s been a constant help for Darwin Nunez since his arrival.

Quoted by EPSN, the former Barcelona man said: “As a teammate, 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 nine shirt in the national team, I told him that when I leave I want him to grab it.

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“That’s why, if you listen to Darwin’s statements, he says it with total sincerity. As a teammate I am happy for him; I spoke about it internally, and before the game with Brazil. These are things that we are happy about as teammates.

“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.”

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It’s certainly interesting to hear the claim from our former No.7 that he was asked by Anfield officials to speak with the ex-Benfica man.

If we take the improvement that we’ve seen from the striker in this season alone and already, it certainly seems something has clicked and maybe we owe some thanks to our former player.

You can view Suarez’s comments via ESPN UK on YouTube:

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Luis Suarez has revealed that representatives from his former club Liverpool had asked him to speak with Darwin Nunez during ‘a bad time’ for the 24-year-old at Anfield.

The Reds’ current number nine scored 15 goals in his first season on Merseyside last term but still had to face a barrage of criticism over missed opportunities and the occasional hot-headed moment, along with struggling initially with his adaptation to the English language.

However, with the centre-forward already on seven goals and six assists for the current campaign (Transfermarkt) and looking much sharper, he’s now living up to the initial £64m that the club paid for him in June 2022 (BBC Sport).

Speaking to AUF TV (via ESPN Argentina), Suarez outlined that he’d had a prolonged conversation with his international teammate Nunez during the latter’s challenging first year at Liverpool.

The 36-year-old said: “I told Darwin about the [Uruguay number nine shirt] in Qatar and we always talked about it before. He has potential, technical ability and physical power that he is showing. As a teammate, 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, [and] 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. That’s why, if you listen to Darwin’s statements, he says it with total sincerity. As a teammate I am happy for him.”

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When a footballer who’s earning £140,000 per week completes a transfer worth £64m (potentially rising to £85m), there can be a temptation to expect them to get on with it as pressure comes with the territory.

However, it must be remembered that, when he signed for Liverpool, Nunez was moving to a new country a week before his 23rd birthday as a father to a five-month-old son and without being fluent in the primary language spoken there.

The challenge of that huge career move, along with the scrutiny that it brought from media, pundit and football fans alike, must’ve been incredibly difficult to cope with, irrespective of how handsomely he was being reimbursed.

It therefore would’ve been most understandable if he struggled to adapt in his first few months in England, and a return of 15 goals in his debut season at Anfield is not to be dismissed lightly.

Only Nunez can provide an accurate answer as to how much the chat with Suarez helped him, but from looking at the 24-year-old’s electrifying performances this term, the words from ‘El Pistolero’ must’ve had a positive impact on Liverpool’s all-action number nine. Long may it continue!

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Liverpool fans will have a very good idea of how their Gremio counterparts are feeling after Luis Suarez bagged a sensational hat-trick for his current club in his most recent outing.

The Porto Alegre side were 3-1 down away to Botafogo in the early stages of the second half until the Uruguayan took matters into his own hands within a scintillating 19-minute period.

He sat down one of the home team’s defenders before dispatching to the net for the first goal of his treble, scoring the equaliser just three minutes later as he was left unmarked to get on the end of a diagonal pass from Ferreira.

The goal which rounded off the hat-trick (and ultimately capped a 4-3 win for Gremio) was the pick of the bunch, with Suarez taking possession taking possession 35 yards out and surging past two opponents before playing a neat one-two with Mathías Villasanti and finishing on the run past Lucas Perri.

The Uruguayan turns 37 in January but he’s clearly still capable of winning games on his own, with the treble taking him to 23 goals in 48 matches this season (Transfermarkt). Just as he did so regularly at Liverpool, El Pistolero is working wonders in the Brazilian top flight!

You can view Suarez’s hat-trick below, via @goal on Twitter/X:

Luis Suarez bags a 19-minute hat-trick in Brazil aged 36 pic.twitter.com/3BPDRJaSYk

— GOAL (@goal) November 10, 2023

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Daniel Sturridge has said it was ‘a joy to play with’ Luis Suarez during their season-and-a-half together at Liverpool.

The 34-year-old was on punditry duty for Sky Sports on MNF last night and he reflected on the partnership he enjoyed with the Uruguayan when they were teammates at Anfield from January 2013 to June 2014.

The duo scored 52 Premier League goals between them in the 2013/14 campaign when Brendan Rodgers’ side just missed out on the title to Manchester City, the second-highest combined tally among two players in the same team for a season in the division’s history.

Speaking on his double act with Suarez, Sturridge said: “We hit it off instantly. We just had that thing where we know where each other would be. It was a joy to play with him. I wish I could have played with him longer because it was only a season and a half.

“Our partnership was almost like two players who had individual technical abilities to score goals on their own, but could also create for each other. That’s what probably made us such a good partnership.”

Suarez was so irresistible during that 2013/14 season that Sturridge’s fantastic campaign (he netted 21 league goals) has largely been overlooked in comparison.

Before the days of Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and Bobby Firmino forming a truly legendary attacking trident, these two and Raheem Sterling were indeed a joy to watch at Liverpool when we went on the title charge under Rodgers.

You can view Sturridge’s comments on Suarez below, via @SkySportsPL on Twitter/X:

"It was a joy to play with him. I wish I could have played with him longer"@DanielSturridge on his partnership with Luis Suárez pic.twitter.com/6n9zqrMSZC

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 6, 2023

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Darwin Nunez scored the winning goal for Liverpool at Bournemouth last night in impressive fashion.

The 24-year-old will have reminded many Reds supporters of Luis Suarez after his stunning curled effort at the Vitality Stadium which booked Jurgen Klopp’s side a spot in the quarter-finals of the League Cup.

Nunez was on the receiving end of a pinpoint pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold but failed to control the ball initially and was forced out on the left flank.

Once he’d got control of the ball the ex-Benfica man drove towards the Bournemouth area before cutting inside and unleashing a powerful effort past the ‘keeper – an effort which Suarez has labelled as ‘breathtaking’.

”BREATHTAKING beast! Keep it up, goleador! #YNWA’,” our former No. 7 wrote under Nunez’s Instagram post (via Liverpool Echo).

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The pair are of course compatriots and have shared the field on plenty of occasions for Uruguay.

Suarez is one of the best strikers the Premier League has ever seen and although it’s too soon to draw comparisons between the ex-Ajax man and our current No. 9 the way in which Nunez has started the campaign has been impressive.

He now has seven goals and five assists in 14 appearances (across all competitions) and looks like a new player following a inconsistent debut campaign on Merseyside.

It’s great to see El Pistolero showing his support for his compatriot and long may the former Almeria man’s impressive performances continue.

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Same club, same nationality, same competition (even the same round), same final scoreline…the parallels were inevitable.

Darwin Nunez sent Liverpool into the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night with a brilliant curled finish in the 2-1 win away to Bournemouth, and it evoked comparisons with one man who used to routinely delight the Kop.

As depicted by @MrBoywunder on X, the 24-year-old’s strike was nearly a carbon copy of a goal by his compatriot Luis Suarez in this very tournament for the Reds when they defeated Stoke en route to winning the trophy 12 seasons ago….when ‘El Pistolero’ was the same age that Nunez is now!

The two goals were indeed strikingly similar, with both Uruguayans receiving the ball on the left channel and getting the better of their nearest marker before unleashing an exquisite curled shot from just inside the corner of the penalty area.

See it for yourself below!

You can view the two goals simultaneously in one clip below, via @MrBoywunder on Twitter/X:

Darwin Nunez Luis Suarez pic.twitter.com/4NAISUMDx7

— MB (@MrBoywunder) November 1, 2023

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A decade on from producing one of the greatest seasons from any player in Liverpool’s history, Luis Suarez has shown that he can still pull off some outrageous finishes.

The Uruguayan maverick is now back in South America with Brazilian club Gremio, and he recently hired an indoor football pitch for his son’s 10th birthday party.

The 36-year-old couldn’t help but partake in a small-size match along with young Benja and his friends, and he treated the children to a glorious goal which was captured by security camera footage.

The ex-Liverpool striker got on the end of a cross from the left and met the ball with an overhead kick, sending it into the net and duly being mobbed by many of the youngsters who were playing.

Even with Jurgen Klopp boasting one of the best attacking units in world football, the clip of Suarez is sure to have Reds supporters feeling a tad wistful for the days when El Pistolero had fans off their seats at Anfield on a regular basis with his extraordinary finishing ability.

You can see the footage of Suarez’s goal below, shared on X by @FBITricolor:

Simplesmente o Suárez fazendo um gol de bicicleta jogando com as crianças no aniversário do filho dele na HD Sports Complex.

Sensacional. pic.twitter.com/b6asyYdHw8

— FBI Tricolor (@FBITricolor) September 27, 2023

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Manchester City icon has named a former Liverpool star among his top three strikers of all time, ahead of legendary names such as Pele and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Sergio Aguero – a superb centre-forward himself as the Etihad Stadium outfit’s all-time top goalscorer (BBC Sport) – was speaking on a Twitch live stream (via @BarcaUniversal and GIVEMESPORT) when he identified his standout trio of attacking greats.

The Argentine said: “Top 3 strikers in history? Ronaldo Nazario, Thierry Henry and Luis Suárez. In that order.”

Kun Agüero: "Top 3 strikers in history? Ronaldo Nazario, Thierry Henry and Luis Suárez. In that order." pic.twitter.com/ybr1m28I9f

— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) July 4, 2023

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Any debate about the greatest strikers in football history is sure to be a heated one, with a number of viable candidates from the modern era and going back through previous generations.

However, what Aguero’s list clearly illustrates is just how formidable a player Liverpool had in Suarez during his three-and-a-half years at Anfield from 2011 to 2014.

Signed on the same day that Fernando Torres left the club, the Uruguayan went on to score 82 goals in 133 appearances for the Reds (Transfermarkt), with 31 of those strikes coming in the 2013/14 Premier League campaign when Brendan Rodgers’ side fell agonisingly short in the title race.

It wasn’t just the sheer quantity of goals which made ‘El Pistolero’ stand out, either. Many of those he plundered were breathtaking, such as the expert finish for his equaliser against Newcastle in November 2012 and his long-range lob over Norwich’s John Ruddy in a 5-1 drubbing a year later.

His wider legacy has unfortunately become tainted by moments of controversy, but in pure footballing terms, there have been few better forwards in the Premier League than the ridiculously gifted Suarez.

When Aguero puts him ahead of two of the sport’s greatest ever goalscorers in Pele and Cristiano Ronaldo, that tells you a lot about just how special a player the Uruguay star was in his prime.

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Lucas Leiva has shared details of a recent conversation he held with Luis Suarez about Darwin Nunez.

The 24-year-old was signed from Benfica last summer and despite showing glimpses of his potential and netting 15 goals for the Reds across all competitions he’s yet to fully settle on Merseyside.

Suarez, who was a huge favourite at Anfield during his time spent at the club between 2011-2014, spoke to our former midfielder about why there’s still a lot more to come from his international compatriot Nunez.

Detailing a recent conversation with Suarez to Liverpoolfc.com, Lucas said: “He told me that Darwin is a shy boy, very calm, very quiet, but a player that wants to improve all the time.

“He’s a goalscorer, we have no doubt about that. With his pace as well, I think it will be important to help him achieve what he wants this season.

“Luis has done really well and I’m very close to him now here in Brazil. Darwin in his first season, I think he was great.

“We know how difficult it is to come and play, the demands are really high, the way Liverpool play is different. So I think he’s done well.

“Of course in the second season we are all looking forward to seeing him improve again, because he’s young, he’s fast and can score goals.

“Hopefully this year will be an even better season for him.”

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It was always going to take Nunez time to fully settle at L4.

He had to adapt to life in a new country while speaking a new language and trying to learn what Jurgen Klopp wanted from him when out on the pitch.

His work rate and the chaos he so often causes has made him a huge favourite amongst Kopites, however, and we’re confident that he’ll shine next term after completing a full preseason with the Reds.

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It’s not often that a player can receive a send-off at a club that ends in fireworks, tears and the presence of Lionel Messi but one former Red has managed to achieve that feat.

Returning to Newell’s Old Boys after retiring earlier in the year, Maxi Rodriguez was treated to an amazing send-off as his old side faced Argentina – with a host of familiar faces returning.

READ MORE: (Video) Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain bids emotional farewell to Liverpool and fans

One invited man who couldn’t attend was Luis Suarez, who sent a message of a apology to his former Anfield teammate via his Instagram stories but the day did see Fabio Aurelio take to the field.

It was the former Barcelona man who made the headlines though, scoring three times on a memorable evening for everyone in attendance.

You can watch the video of Maxi’s farewell via @Newells on Twitter and the highlights from SIAN Sports on YouTube:

Gracias eternas, Fiera pic.twitter.com/AQz2USQ7kl

— Newell’s Old Boys (@Newells) June 25, 2023

#Ep76 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: Liverpool Transfer Committee Show!

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Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez has shared a heartfelt message about compatriot and former Anfield icon Luis Suarez, amid rumours that the latter could soon be forced to retire.

The president of the 36-year-old’s current club Gremio revealed this week that the Uruguayan legend is ‘reaching his limit’, requiring ‘almost daily injections’ and feeling ‘constant pain’, fuelling speculation that he could soon be hanging up his boots (Daily Mail).

During his time at Anfield between January 2011 and the summer of 2014, ‘El Pistolero’ scored a whopping 82 goals in 133 appearances (Transfermarkt), with many of those being sensational strikes which summed up his genius as a footballer and showed why defenders hated coming up against him.

Fellow Uruguay striker Nunez took part in a YouTube video for Shoot For Love in which he was challenged to fire a football through a series of objects.

After he carried out those tasks, the two hosts discussed a clip they filmed with Suarez in the past, with his younger compatriot noting how the ex-Liverpool marksman curled a ball into a basketball net from distance.

The 23-year-old said: “I have seen the Luis Suarez video before… my friend, Luis is an idol for me,” pounding his heart immediately prior to that last statement.

It was clearly said with feeling, almost as if Nunez was trying to let his international colleague know how he felt about him and offer a supportive message at a difficult time for the former Anfield superstar.

You can see the clip of the Liverpool striker’s comments on Suarez below (from 8:30), via Shoot For Love on YouTube:

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Liverpool fans will always hold a special place for Luis Suarez, with his on-field performances being up there with some of the very best we’ve ever seen but it looks like his footballing journey may be about to end.

As reported by Germán García Grova: ‘Luis Suárez told the board of Gremio that he is retiring from football. It is due to intense pain in the knee.

‘There will be a meeting between the parties to analyze the steps to follow. Gremio intends to put an “anti Inter Miami” clause’.

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It seems then that our former No.7 has informed the club of his desire to leave through injury and wanting to end his playing days all together, after joining the Brazilian outfit in December 2022.

However, the desire for Gremio to place ‘an “anti Inter Miami” clause’ is rather suspicious and may seem to suggest that his current club don’t believe that his playing days are set to come to an end.

It’s not much of a secret that Lionel Messi is about to join the MLS team and with the duo having such a great bond at Barcelona and friendship away from football too, it looks like there could be a chance of a reunion on the cards.

Whether the 36-year-old is of the thinking that any offer for his services won’t be accepted, isn’t clear at this point but the presence of doubt from the Porto Alegre team seems to suggest there’s a chance of a move to the USA.

We’ll have to wait and see for what happens but there’s still no taking away from what the Uruguayan gave us supporters during his Anfield days.

You can view the Suarez news via @GerGarciaGrova on Twitter:

Luis Suárez le comunicó a la directiva de #Gremio que se retira del fútbol.

Se debe a intensos dolores en la rodilla.

Habrá reunión entre las partes para analizar los pasos a seguir.

#Gremio pretende poner una cláusula “anti #InterMiami”

Vía @EsportesGZH pic.twitter.com/HRxgKURRno

— Germán García Grova (@GerGarciaGrova) June 20, 2023

#Ep76 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: Liverpool Transfer Committee Show!

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