Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez has claimed that he no longer listens to criticism from the outside world.
Nunez was on the receiving end of plenty of stick after signing for Liverpool from Benfica last year. With poor training clips and all sorts going viral, the 24-year-old seemed to be affected by the scrutiny.
But 12 months on, Nunez now seems a calmer and more purposeful individual. And after quotes from ESPN via The Athletic surfaced, it’s somehow no surprise to hear that he no longer takes any notice of online trolls.
“I used to live watching the (social media) networks, it made me bad,” says the Uruguayan. “They say they keep criticising me, but I don’t see anything, I am working in silence and things are working for me. For me, let them speak what they want, my head is fine.
“The coach is the one who decides who plays and I respect his opinion. I continue to work in silence, whatever minutes touch me, I will go in, do my job and try to do my best.”
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Nunez ignores the haters
Right from the start of pre-season, you could see that something had shifted a little in Nunez.
He no longer looks like he’s carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders somehow.
Yes, he’s still got that drive and desire to win – and to prove people wrong no doubt. But it now feels like something that he’s harnessing.
In the past, it seemed as though the Uruguay international could never be satisfied. If he scored and shut a few people up, great. But he’d just have to out and do it again in the next game, because the trolls never stop.
Now, you get the impression that Nunez is much more settled. Not only at Liverpool after a year, but also within his own skin. If he can carry that on, the sky really is the limit for him.
Rarely have the Reds had a player who divides opinion quite so much. But whatever you think his level is, whether he’s a starter or not, the consensus is that Nunez can definitely do damage if the conditions are right.
Part of that is making sure that things are correct in his own mind first and foremost. Now that he’s doing that, the rest should hopefully follow.