Jurgen Klopp Praises Luis Diaz Premier League Debut, Saying He ‘showed up’ in a ‘nice opportunity’

Following his Premier League debut, Jurgen Klopp heaped praise on Liverpool’s £50 million January addition Luis Diaz.

Diaz made his Anfield debut off the bench in the Reds’ 3-1 FA Cup triumph over Cardiff last weekend. However, he was given the start against Leicester at Anfield on Thursday night.

The 25-year-old had an immediate impact as Liverpool won 2-0 to keep their nine-point deficit to league leaders Manchester City.

Klopp remarked in his pre-match news conference for his side’s trip to Burnley on Sunday, “It was one of the best first games I watched from a new player.”

‘With Sadio [Mane] out and Mo [Salah] returning from a difficult competition, last night was a wonderful opportunity to start him. Luis arrived.’

Diogo Jota continued his excellent season by scoring both goals, one in each half, to secure a comfortable victory over the Foxes.

Questions about how Liverpool would deal without Salah and Mane before their travels for the Africa Cup of Nations were raised. But the Reds haven’t lost a game and were only held to a tie by Arsenal in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-finals.

Following his AFCON heartbreak with Egypt, Salah returned to club action on Thursday, coming off the bench in the win, while Klopp said Mane will return to training today after Senegal’s historic victory.

With the star duo back in the lineup and Diaz fast acclimating to his new surroundings, Klopp suddenly has a variety of choices up front.

Former Reds striker Michael Owen revealed pundits were ‘drooling’ over him during Liverpool’s triumph against Leicester, and Liverpool fans praised him for his start to life on Merseyside.