‘He’s crazy’: Coach says Liverpool now have a player who really reminds him of Cristiano Ronaldo

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Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez’s former coach David Badia has claimed that the striker reminds him of Cristiano Ronaldo because of his work ethic.

That’s according to what he told The Athletic, in which the 48-year-old hailed the Uruguay international and his approach to his fitness, after recovering from a severe surgery in December 2017.

Nunez suffered a severe knee injury when he was just breaking through, which left him ruled out for a significant period of time.

Since, he has paid far greater attention to ensuring that he does all he can to prevent further injury issues.

“He’s taking care of his body amazing. He’s crazy — like Ronaldo. All day he’s looking after his body and taking care of his nutrition — everything,” Badia said.

Whilst at Penarol, it was discovered the forward had an exostosis — entailing extra bone growth in his knee — which was causing incredible pain.

After undergoing a second surgery to remove the extra bone, Nunez was back flying at full capacity, having maintained his phenomenal speed and strength.

Months after joining Almeria as the club’s assistant manager, Badia learned of the Uruguayan’s previous injury woes, and he was extremely shocked to hear about the front-man’s previous issues.

“He was better than the other players who hadn’t had this surgery,” he said.

“Usually, the players lose a little bit of speed. If he has this speed now, I cannot imagine how fast he was before the operation. So, in the end, we say, ‘OK, it’s not a problem’. Maybe if he has another operation he will be even faster!”

Badia praises Nunez after his injury woes

Having earned a £20.3m move to Benfica following his resurgence in the Spanish second division, Nunez suffered a huge blow the day after his side lost the final of the Portuguese Cup to Braga – the 22-year-old underwent another knee operation.

Whilst this was on his other leg, the surgery was required to overcome an ongoing issue which was limiting the player’s physicality. However, after exceeding his expected return date by a month, the striker went on to bag 26 goals in 28 league games that season.

With numerous surgeries on his knees, coaches would usually be worried about the potential injury concerns surrounding that player.

However, in this case, Badia has full trust in Nunez’s ability to remain fit. Having taken note of the ‘amazing’ effort he puts in to take care of his body, the coach’s comparison to Ronaldo’s renowned routine illustrates the amount of hard work the 22-year-old is willing to put in to succeed at Liverpool.

This could play a huge factor in just how successful Nunez’s Reds career goes. At times it has appeared the forward has struggled technically, with a lack of confidence also affecting his performances on the pitch. But his fantastic physicality and astounding speed always shines through.

During the side’s 3-0 Champions League win over Ajax earlier this week, Nunez had a clear-cut chance to put Klopp’s men two goals ahead, but his effort struck the post.

Nunez can often be accused of being too eager in front of goal, but the striker’s incredible athleticism was on display later in the game, as he leapt to meet a corner, heading home towards the far post.

Whilst he may appear a little raw technically at the moment, Nunez’s physical attributes more than make up for his occasional hastiness in front of goal.