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Jurgen Klopp hails Darwin Nunez but calls on Liverpool striker to continue developing.
Jurgen Klopp is delighted with Darwin Nunez’s potential for Liverpool, but he feels the striker must continue to improve because he does not always display his full potential.
On Wednesday night at Anfield, the 23-year-old scored his first Premier League goal, and it turned out to be a vital one as Liverpool defeated West Ham 1-0.
Nunez has occasionally looked excellent while wearing a Liverpool jersey, but his time with the Reds has been inconsistent due to an early suspension for a red card and Roberto Firmino’s performance.
Although Klopp appreciates what he sees in the Uruguayan, he occasionally wishes he would display a little more confidence.
‘We must be careful with the boys, they all have their issues,’ Klopp told Amazon Prime. ‘The goal is exceptional, the other chances he had were exceptional.
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‘It was a great cross, being between the centre backs, in the air he’s a real weapon. The other movements in behind, the half volley, great saves from [Lukasz] Fabianski. He’s young, he’s really young, felt hamstrings a little bit at half-time, then you have to make early changes, but that’s absolutely fine, we can do that.’
On what he wants to see from Nunez, Klopp joked: ‘I expect from him that he puts them in the back of the net.
‘He’s an exceptional talent, you can see his runs, his speed, physicality, and finishing skills. He has a really good technique but doesn’t use it all the time, he’s in a rush and the first contact goes somewhere but there’s everything there, we’re really excited about it. When you’re young you have time to develop but you have to develop and that’s what we’re working on.’
The former Benfica player, who is adjusting to a new life in England and learning the language at the same time, was also praised by Virgil van Dijk.
‘He has so much potential,’ Van Dijk said. ‘He’s still young, he’s learning, he’s learning the way we play, he’s learning English which is also helpful.
‘He’s the modern-day striker that causes a lot of defenders problems. You could see today, his runs in behind, and his build-up play is getting better. Obviously we have different weapons to try and exploit opponents and that’s good.’