Darwin Núñez shares heartfelt message about Liverpool after removing initial post referring to himself as a ‘loser.’
Darwin Núñez has reaffirmed his commitment to Liverpool, making it clear he won’t give up despite facing criticism for a crucial missed opportunity in Wednesday’s 2-2 draw against Aston Villa. Coming on as a second-half substitute, Núñez failed to convert a golden chance when he sent Dominik Szoboszlai’s precise pass over the crossbar from close range with the game tied past the hour mark.
The Uruguay international’s miss drew scrutiny, and Liverpool’s head coach, Arne Slot, later admitted in his Thursday press conference that he was dissatisfied with the striker’s response and effort following the missed opportunity at Villa Park.
As discussions surrounding Núñez’s performance gained traction online, particularly given that Liverpool’s draw extended their lead over Arsenal by eight points, the former Benfica forward addressed the situation on social media. On Thursday morning, he posted on X, sharing a photo of himself celebrating one of his two match-winning goals against Brentford from the previous month. His message read:
“I wasn’t the best three weeks ago, and I’m not the worst now. If I fall, I get back up. You will never see me give up. I will give everything for this club until my last day at Liverpool. Resilience!”
Before this, Núñez had initially shared a more emotional post that he later deleted, which stated:
“A few weeks ago, I was praised for winning the team three points, but yesterday, after missing a goal, I’m suddenly the worst again and a failure. I don’t stay down—I get up and will never surrender. I will give everything I have for Liverpool until my final day here. Resilience!”
Addressing Núñez’s reaction to his miss, Slot emphasized that while missing chances is part of a striker’s job, the real issue was the forward’s response afterward. He said, “It’s not the missed chance that concerns me, but the 20 minutes that followed. That’s something I’ll speak to Darwin about.”
Slot acknowledged Núñez’s importance to the team and confirmed he would reassure the striker of his role moving forward. However, he made it clear that while missed chances are understandable, a lack of effort is not.
“Strikers will miss chances—it’s inevitable. What’s unacceptable is reducing your work rate after a miss. That’s not the standard for a No. 9,” Slot stated. He highlighted Núñez’s past contributions, mentioning his crucial goals against Brentford and Aston Villa earlier in the season, but stressed that his main concern was the forward’s demeanor after the miss.
“I can accept missed chances, but I struggle to accept how he reacted afterward. He was too consumed by the miss and wasn’t his usual self—the one who works tirelessly for the team. He allowed his disappointment to affect his performance.”
Slot concluded by praising midfielder Wataru Endo as an example of the mentality he expects from his players. “Endo never complains—he just keeps going and is always ready when needed. That mindset is rare, but it’s what every player should strive for.”
