Ian Rush says he thinks Arne Slot will pick ‘fantastic’ Liverpool player every week next season

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Liverpool fans are still waiting to see what their team will look like under Arne Slot.

After taking charge of his first ever game as Liverpool head coach last week, Slot is beginning to settle in with the Reds.

However, as the match was a behind closed doors friendly at the AXA Training Centre, fans were not able to watch how their new head coach set his players up.

The first glimpse of what we can expect from ‘Slot ball’ will come very early on Saturday morning, as Liverpool play Real Betis in Pittsburgh.

Even then, the team will be missing many of the Liverpool squad who are still away on holiday, including one who Reds legend Ian Rush has backed to be a key player under Slot.

Ian Rush backs Darwin Nunez for big role

Rush remains way out in-front as the best goal scorer in Anfield history. Whatever way you slice it, the Welshman is a true Liverpool legend.

With the Reds rather inefficient when faced with the goal last season, they could perhaps do with Rush’s input on how to stick the ball in the net more often.

When it comes to matters of being a striker, there are few better people to listen to.

It’s interesting to hear then, that given his at times unfortunate lack of composure in-front of goal, Rush is still backing Darwin Nunez to be a success in his old No.9 shirt.

READ MORE: Arne Slot reveals what he’s told Darwin Nunez about his Liverpool future

Speaking via Irish News, the 62-year-old has claimed that with his confidence high from a good summer with Uruguay, Nunez should go on to be a hit under Slot.

“Hopefully Nunez is Liverpool’s number nine, he is a great player,” says Rush. “He’s had chances he’s missed but he’s only young and he is getting confident now. At the end of the day he has to show the new manager he is capable.

“I know he will miss America [tour] but when the season starts he will be looking to impress the manager,” adds the former striker. “Hopefully he can get the confidence to say to the manager ‘Play me week in, week out’ as I am sure Slot will be saying ‘I want you as my number one (choice)’.

“He’s got everything else, all he needs now is (to be) converting chances. He’s had a fantastic summer. That breeds confidence. Sometimes when you go back to your country you do get more confident.”

Is it last chance saloon for Darwin Nunez?

It’s good news that Slot is set to back Nunez next season. The Uruguayan still has plenty more to give.

Now 25, Nunez can no longer use the excuse of still being a young player. At this stage, the former Benfica man has to be getting closer to being the finished article.

Some Liverpool supporters may have given up on Nunez already. Although he’s still highly popular amongst the fanbase, his squandered chances started to become difficult to justify towards the end of last season.

If he doesn’t begin to put that right under Slot, it feels like there will be no future at Anfield beyond this season for Nunez.

Should it all finally click into place, though, Liverpool will have themselves one of the best all-round strikers in the world. It probably is last chance saloon for Darwin at Liverpool, but there’s hope that he isn’t done yet.