"He told me that I had to be calm because I was new" - Darwin Nunez says private chat with Liverpool superstar helped overcome early jitters

Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez has disclosed how Reds teammate Mohamed Salah has helped him adapt to life on Merseyside.

Nunez swapped Portuguese club Benfica for English giants Liverpool in the summer. The Reds acquired his services from the Primeira Liga outfit for a deal worth up to €100 million.

The price tag seemed to weigh heavily on the striker's shoulders as he had a slow start to his time at Anfield. He was notably sent off for a headbutt on Crystal Palace defender Joachim Andersen in what was his first start for the Reds.

Nunez managed to score just two goals in his first eight appearances across all competitions for the club. However, he now appears to have found his rhythm, having found the back of the net in each of his last three starts.

Reflecting on his early days at Liverpool, Nunez revealed that he is indebted to Salah for helping him settle in at the club. Speaking to ESPN Uruguay, he started off by recalling his early interactions with the Reds superstar. He said [via The Mirror]:

"Salah is an excellent player and an excellent person. When I arrived in the pre-season I was talking to him, we had Fabinho as a translator. In those first games, I was very nervous, I had arrived without training, and things didn't work out for me."

Nunez then lifted the lid on his private chat with Salah that has helped him find his footing on Merseyside. He added:

"Then Mohamed called me to talk, he told me that I had to be calm because I was new, that I was just adapting to the club."

"He told me that he also went through that moment, that when he arrived in 2017 he did not know English, and he told me that I was going to learn it, that now I should be calm, that I should do what I did at Benfica, that my potential was important for the team and that I had his support and that of the captains."

Having slowly settled in at Liverpool, Nunez will now look to form a strong partnership with Salah.

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How has Salah fared for Liverpool this term?

Jurgen Klopp and Co. have comparatively made a poor start to their 2022-23 season. They currently sit eighth in the Premier League with 16 points, having won four, drawn four and lost three of their 11 matches so far.

Many believe the Reds' situation correlates to Salah's form, with the Egyptian also having a slow season so far. However, he has still scored nine goals and provided four assists in 16 matches for the club.