“It was probably one of the best [first games] I’ve ever seen from a new player.”
Jurgen Klopp has paid new Liverpool signing Luis Diaz a huge compliment by saying the Colombian’s full debut was “one of the best” he has witnessed from a player at the club.
Diaz made his debut as a substitute for the Reds last weekend in the FA Cup win over Cardiff City, and started his first game for the club on Thursday in the 2-0 win over Leicester City.
The Colombian winger, who joined Klopp’s team from Porto at the end of the January transfer window in a deal worth a potential £50m, was impressive against the Foxes and appears to have instantly adapted to his new team.
Klopp praises Diaz after Premier League debut for Liverpool.
At Friday’s press conference ahead of Liverpool’s trip to Turf Moor to play Burnley on Sunday, Klopp said Diaz’s ‘skillset’ and ‘character’ have helped him quickly adjust to life at Liverpool.
The German also said Diaz’s full debut was ‘one of the best’ he has seen from a new player at the club – a huge compliment given Liverpool’s outstanding transfer record in recent seasons.
“It was probably one of the best [first games] I’ve ever seen from a new player,” Klopp said about the Colombian.
“That’s true because he looked completely natural. But it’s only a first game and we have to see how he’ll adapt to all of the different stuff and the intensities in the Premier League.
“There’s no rush, but last night was a very good opportunity to start him because Sadio [Mane] was not here yet and Mo [Salah] is coming back from an incredibly intense tournament.”
Klopp: Diaz already looks like a Liverpool player.
Following Thursday’s victory over Leicester, Klopp also praised Diaz and said the 25-year-old is a natural fit for his team.
“When we saw him playing for Porto, we thought ‘yes, that’s exactly what we want him to do as well’,” the Liverpool manager said.
“On top of that, he seems to be a really smart footballer and has obviously watched us quite a lot.
“We don’t want to overload new players with information in the first week and tell them everything we want from them in one week. But we took a look and he looked like a Liverpool player, it’s true.”
Diaz is a wide forward who is comfortable playing on either wing, but predominately plays on the left.
The Colombian has scored 41 goals in 125 games for Porto, including 14 in 18 league games this season before departing for Anfield.
