“Yes, I used to go to bed alone on an empty stomach. But the one else who went to bed on an empty stomach was my mother. She made sure that my brother and I ate first. My mom used to go to bed without accompanying us to dinner. I will never forget where I come from,” Jurgen Klopp’s future player said when talking about his early life in Uruguay.Darwin Nunez’s life story is somewhat a surreal, Hollywood-like fairytale that depicts a guy that went from excruciating poverty all the way to glory, happiness and richness.Benfica confirms Nunez exit, but who will leave Liverpool in order to fund this transfer?Today he signs a 100 million euros worth contract with Liverpool, and ten or something years ago, his parents had to sacrifice a lot to provide him with simple football boots.”I don’t forget where I come from. A humble, hard-working family. My father worked in construction for eight or nine hours to buy the necessary food for us. My mother was always a housewife and went out to the streets to collect used bottles to sell,” Nunez said a few years ago.Are you ready for some numbers? Darwin fee and wage revealedAs if that was not enough, little Darwin had a bumpy ride trying to make his way through the youth ranks of Uruguay’s most respected side, Penarol.Firstly he didn’t pass the test in 2013, aged 14, after one scout took him to try out at the Montevideo-based slot. However, life would give him one more chance, and a year later, he would try again at the same club. This time he had more success, joining Penarol’s youth setups. But then life confronted him with another setback.It’s not a theory anymore: Darwin is a pivotal element in Klopp’s natural selectionThe family didn’t have enough money to support both his and his older brother’s careers, so the latter decided to step aside, albeit he was already playing in the third division of the Uruguayan football hierarchy. “You stay. You have a future. I’m leaving,” his brother Junior told him when a family problem arose.Benfica have got one of the best strikers in the world, but Darwin has to say goodbye to the Champions LeagueAnd even that was not the last hurdle on the road to stardom. At the age of 16, Darwin tore his knee ligaments and had to be sidelined for a year and a half. MON: 21.45: (1.94) DENMARK (3.60) AUSTRIA (4.50)On the day of his return, he came in for veteran Maxi Rodriguez, but the pain caused by the surgery forced him to finish the game in tears. This caused him to undergo another surgery, which almost ended his career.Darwin Núñez spent the 2019/20 season in Segunda with Almería. The then 20-year-old Uruguayan marksman contributed 16 goals and three assists in 32 league appearances for the Andalusian side before securing a summer move to Portuguese giants Benfica. pic.twitter.com/a6jZFpEq4Z— Alan Feehely (@azulfeehely) June 13, 2022 In the South American U-20 tournament, he did not live up to expectations since he was struggling to score.So he started visiting a psychologist to deal with the issue. To avoid abuse, he even used the cell phone only to make calls since he could not enter social networks.But just like every real fairytale, Darwin’s propelled at one moment, as he secured himself a contract with the Spanish second-tier side Almeria. There he made that vital leap and now has become one of the most expensive signings in Premier League history.
