Livewire Diaz becomes instant Liverpool hit
MANCHESTER: Settling into life in the English Premier League, a division often heralded as having the fastest pace in world football, is not easy — that is unless you are Liverpool’s new livewire Luis Diaz.
Even with a wealth of firmly established attacking talent already in the Liverpool ranks, Colombian forward Diaz, signed from Portuguese side Porto in January, has been able to take to the Premier League like a duck to water.
Coming from a rural, Atlantic coastal village, Diaz was almost overlooked as a youngster due to his slight build, but after a glowing reference from Colombia great Carlos Valderrama, he has never looked back.
“He is a top player,” Liverpool coach Juergen Klopp said after Diaz’s man-of-the-match performance in his side’s 3-1 Champions League quarter final first-leg win at Benfica on Tuesday.
“He’s a top, top world level player. It’s a joy for me to work with Luis every day, and I’m more than happy that we decided to sign him in January.”
Klopp insisted Diaz already “looked like a Liverpool player” a matter of weeks after signing him, with the 25-year-old possessing one particular key attribute that has helped him feel right at home.
Famed for their intense style of play, the first line of the press is important to Klopp.
After another breathless display in Lisbon in midweek, Diaz has now won possession in the final third more times (12) than any other player in the Champions League this season.
The rigours of the Premier League have not been able to suppress Diaz’s defensive efforts either, as he ranks in the top 10 for possession won in the final third for players with over five appearances to their name.
There is certainly no lack of bravery to his game, exemplified by his willingness to literally put his neck on the line when scoring his second Premier League goal against Brighton & Hove Albion last month — a decision that earned him a painful collision with home goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.
“Since he’s come in, he’s been special,” Liverpool defender
Andy Robertson said after the Brighton win.
“Today, he was unplayable at times, driving at players, people were scared of him and he’s got an end product.”
The next step for Diaz is to turn his incredible array of skills — no Liverpool player has completed more dribbles per 90 minutes than Diaz in the league this term — into more goals and assists.
The fact Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino all average more goals per game than Diaz this term may ensure the Colombian does not make the Liverpool starting team for Sunday’s blockbuster title clash at Manchester City.
But the Liverpool boss has not been shy in throwing the Colombian in at the deep end.
The fact Klopp has immediately utilised Diaz, either from the start or off the bench, in pivotal fixtures, when he already possesses prolific, established attacking players, in a team still fighting for an unprecedented quadruple, tells you all you need to know about the Colombian’s abilities.
Liverpool know they have yet another impressive option to call upon, and even in their title showdown against league leaders City, do not bet against the effervescent Colombian having a big say.