Luis Diaz: The Resilient Liverpool Star Shining Bright After Overcoming Challenges

Liverpool has had a superb start to the 2024/25 season, with several key players showcasing their talents during Arne Slot’s inaugural season at the helm.

Among them, Luis Diaz appears to be the Liverpool player who has gained the most from the Dutch manager’s arrival, with the Colombian forward demonstrating greater consistency in his performances.

Emile Heskey, who spent four-and-a-half seasons at Liverpool in the early 2000s and helped the team secure multiple trophies, has expressed particular admiration for Diaz’s start to the season. This commendation comes after the Colombian managed to overcome a challenging year marked by the kidnapping of his parents in October 2023.

Liverpool reaping benefits of Luis Diaz’s performances

“Given the challenges he’s faced off the pitch, he deserves tremendous respect, as he’s been outstanding,” Heskey tells FFT.

“He had substantial expectations to meet when Sadio Mane departed, because Mane was such an exceptional player for Liverpool and played an essential role. In my view, Mane was arguably the best player at Liverpool during his tenure – Mo Salah has been phenomenal, but when it comes to work rate and overall contribution, I believe Mane slightly edged ahead.

“I’m a fan of watching Diaz; he brings excitement. You want to see players take on their opponents, showcase their abilities, and score goals. Diaz embodies that style.”

This skill set has been particularly evident this season under Slot’s guidance. Playing both from his natural left-wing position and centrally, Diaz has emerged as a significant player in the starting XI, paralleling Sadio Mane’s development during his time at Anfield.

Initially joining as a left-winger, Mane gradually transitioned to a more central role in the latter stages of his career at Liverpool as Roberto Firmino’s influence diminished. This positional shift has allowed Diaz to remain more engaged in the game, giving the 27-year-old the freedom to collect the ball from different areas on the pitch, dribble past defenders, and attempt shots he might not have considered before.

As a result, he’s well on track to exceed his previous best in the Premier League of eight goals, with his overall performances also showing significant improvement.