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Liverpool’s record goalscorer Ian Rush believes confidence-building summer tournaments for Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo will give them a boost as they prepare for life under new head coach Arne Slot.
Both players struggled to consistently find their best form during Jurgen Klopp’s final two seasons but showed at the Copa America and Euro 2024 respectively they are capable of operating at the highest level.
Klopp’s departure will not involve a complete reset but Slot is likely to bring a fresh pair of eyes to finding a solution which brings the best out of the two forwards.
But the pair will have to play catch up as the squad flew out to the United States this week without them, ahead of Friday’s first friendly against Real Betis, as they are still on holiday after their tournament involvement.
However, Rush believes their international form – Nunez recently scored 10 in seven matches for Uruguay before his Copa America tailed off in the knockout stage, while Gakpo found the net three times in six Euro 2024 games – can provide a stepping stone.
Nunez has blown hot and cold in his first two seasons at the club but for all his talent has infuriatingly missed a large number of chances.
“Hopefully Nunez is Liverpool’s number nine. He is a great player, he’s had chances he’s missed but he’s only young and he is getting confident now,” Rush told the PA News agency at the reopening of the Liverpool FC Museum, which now includes a section dedicated to Klopp.
“At the end of the day he has to show the new manager he is capable.
“I know he will miss America but when the season starts he will be looking to impress the manager.
“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.
“I was in a similar position in Italy (when he moved to Juventus); when you go to Wales you feel more comfortable as people speak the same language and when you go back (to your club) it is a bit more difficult.”
Gakpo has suffered most from being a utility player at Liverpool.
He started last season filling a hole in midfield but has also been played on the left and through the middle and has never been able to nail down one position.
“I think Gakpo has had an excellent Euros. Maybe playing for Holland gives him more confidence,” added Rush.
“With Liverpool he’s not guaranteed a start where with Holland he is and that makes a difference for confidence in a striker if you are playing week in, week out.
“He knows he is based on the left side. We have got Nunez and (Mohamed) Salah and he’s more of an in-between man, a squad player because he can play in three or four different positions.
“If you are not playing week in week out you don’t know what to do but I am sure Slot will know what to do with him.
“He’s seen how he has been successful with Holland at the Euros.”
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