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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Matt Smith

'Get up and work' - Darwin Nunez sent emotional message as Liverpool return to pre-season training

Darwin Nunez has been tipped to deliver for Liverpool after he became the Reds' record signing last summer.

Despite enduring a somewhat underwhelming debut campaign, which saw him net just nine Premier League goals for the club and struggle to adapt to the rigours of English football, Nunez remains popular at Anfield.

As a matter of fact, 83% of supporters that took part in our Liverpool fans forum believe that the Uruguayan will eventually come good, meaning Nunez has 6,898 Liverpool fans willing to succeed on Merseyside. Only a small portion of 17% believe he will flop.

READ MORE: Throwing up and brutal tests - inside 'terrible day one' of Liverpool training

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And it appears he receives such significant backing at home too, with his wife uploading a heart-warming message onto social media as the Reds returned to pre-season training today.

It reads: "You go back to work to fight for your dreams because I always tell you luck does not come if you do not get up and work for it, thank you for being EVERYTHING for us because the day our son is aware he will be very proud to have a father like you!

"Te amamos papa [we love you, dad]"

The same sentiments also apply from his manager. Boss Jurgen Klopp made his feelings on the striker abundantly clear before the curtain closed on their difficult season.

He said of the forward: "There's a lot more to come. That's clear. He needs time to settle. The most difficult thing for a striker is to come into a team that is not clicking.

"Imagine if he played for us in a good season, an 80-point or more season, he would have scored more goals, definitely. But it is like now each situation we created and we miss it and it is a more high level.

"Mo Salah, in his best season when he scored 40-odd goals, missed chances. That's normal. Erling Haaland [has] missed chances. But they had much more than we created in this period. Fifteen goals is absolutely fine.

"There are still three games to go so possibly he can increase that number as well. He had time to adapt at Benfica and there was no language issue, or less than it is here. We tried to help him so he can help us even more than he did already."

As the club kick-off pre-season, Adrian, Stefan Bajcetic, Fabinho, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip, and Nat Phillips made up Liverpool's senior contingent, alongside Nunez.

Thiago Alcantara's presence was questioned after he was absent in pictures released by the club and had been linked with a departure.

Nevertheless, any doubts were soon put to bed as Liverpool appeared to address such speculation by tweeting a photograph of the Spaniard arriving at Melwood.

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