Darwin Nunez has wished his Uruguay and Liverpool idol Luis Suarez a happy 38th birthday. The pair have struck up a mentor-student bond through their shared journey through football, now the Reds' No.9 must heed the lessons he has been taught if he is to lead his team's attack in the upcoming weeks.

The 2024/25 season has perhaps been the one Nunez has most needed a pick-me-up. The striker's struggles in front of goal, adapting to life under a new coach, have been plain for all see. It is fortunate that he has the backing of a club who won't cash in at the first signs of difficulty, as the ECHO understands offers won't be entertained despite persistent rumours.

The Uruguayan can also turn to his Liverpool teammates, who celebrated passionately and then backed him to the hilt once stoppage-time goals against Brentford had been scored. Not only that - Nunez's biggest supporter is a certified Kop hero.

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Playing together 13 times before the elder announced his retirement from international football, Suarez has always been hugely supportive of the goalscorer deemed his successor in the Uruguay national team.

Now today, January 24, is the ex-Red's 38th birthday, with Nunez one of many to share their congratulations. On Instagram, he wrote: "Happy birthday idol! Thank you for everything."

Taking Nunez under his wing in the national team set-up, it was Suarez - a much-changed man from the one that got himself into bother so many times throughout three-and-a-half years on Merseyside - that defended Liverpool's current No.9 when manager Marcelo Bielsa became heavily critical.

"I saw Darwin crying and I told him, 'You are here because of your own merit, because of how hard you work. You are a goalscorer and you are the best. You have to continue like this, forget what others say. Wash your face, go out and break it'."

In turn, Nunez has acknowledged his hero's selfless guidance. Last year he explained: "Off the field, we have a very good bond, I always follow him because Luis is an idol for me, and he also advises me a lot.

"For example, the time the headbutt thing happened (against Crystal Palace), Luis was the first to write to me. 'You idiot, don’t do that, another idiot is talking to you and he’s done it a thousand times', he told me. With Luis, we created a very nice bond."

Now Nunez faces a defining period of the campaign. Whereas last week he was Liverpool's saviour from the substitutes bench, for the foreseeable his eye for goal must be sharp as the leading man in this team.

With Slot announcing Diogo Jota will miss at least 'a few' of the coming weeks, it falls upon the only remaining out-and-out striker in the team to take the next step.