MY ACCOUNT
John Aldridge says Luis Diaz has the full package and backed the Liverpool forward to rise to the occasion in the Champions League final on Saturday.
Diaz has been a revelation at Anfield following his move from Porto in January for a fee of €45million (£37m), which could rise to €70m.
The 25-year-old has already won the EFL Cup and FA Cup during his short time with the Merseyside club and could lift the biggest trophy in European club football at Stade de France this weekend, with Real Madrid standing in the way of the Reds and Champions League glory.
Diaz has scored eight goals and provided five assists, offering another dimension to an already potent Liverpool attack.
Aldridge has been hugely impressed with the impact Diaz has made and thinks the Colombia international can torment Los Blancos in Paris.
The former Reds striker told Stats Perform: “Luis Diaz in the final, one thing I like is that he doesn’t let the finals get to him.
“The two finals he’s played [against Chelsea in the EFL Cup and FA Cup]… he’s only been at the club for two minutes, but he’s been man of the match in two finals, which shows you, it doesn’t faze him.
“Nothing fazes the lad, he just plays with energy, commitment, desire, hunger, the lot, he gives you the package.
“And that’s what I love to see, he doesn’t leave anything on that pitch. And he came from a modest family in Colombia, he has had to make his way through life without a lot of things given to him. He’s been like a breath of fresh air. He’s been brilliant.”
Madrid beat Liverpool 3-1 in the 2018 Champions League final and Aldridge says Jurgen Klopp’s side can use that to add further fuel in their quest to be crowned champions of Europe for a seventh time.
“I think you use it as a positive, in the right way,” he said. “You don’t let your heart rule your head. That’s one thing in football that goes without saying. It can spur you on as a motivational weapon, big time.”
