Luis Diaz is he first Colombian player and Liverpool star, . Born in 1997, he was raised in Barrancas, not far from Colombia’s border with Venezuela.
However, the first time he left the country was in 2015 when he represented Columbia in the Copa America of Indigenous People, held in Chile.
Diaz scored twice as Colombia reached the final, losing to Uruguay. He had now done enough to secure his first professional contract and he signed for second tier Barranquilla, an affiliate club of leading side Atletico Junior. There was no doubt about his talent but there were concerns over his ability to meet the physical demands of the game.
A pasta diet, which saw him gain ten kilos, soon resolved that and by 2017 he was ready to take the step up to Junior. Diaz won the league title, reached the Copa Sudamerica final and became a regular for the national side. It was no surprise when European clubs came calling and in 2019 he joined Porto.
Diaz earned international recognition when he was the joint top-scorer with Lionel Messi with four goals in Copa America in 2021 when Colombia finished third. Diaz continued his scoring exploits with Porto in 2021/22 with 14 goals in 18 appearances in the Primeira Liga.
His speed, aggressiveness in the final third and a deadly eye for goal fits perfectly with Klopp’s style of play and Liverpool were tipped to make a move for him in the summer.
Luis Díaz signed for Liverpool FC from FC Porto for a fee that could reach $64m (£50m/€58m).
Effectively a replacement for Sadio Mané, the Colombian has established himself as a key man playing on the left wing, earning a reputation for his silky dribbling and ability to drop a shoulder, come inside and shoot.
Diaz has made a dream start to his 2024/25 campaign having scored in back-to-back Premier League games including a brilliant brace against Manchester United.
Luis Diaz has won 13 championship titles, all at a club level. Here’s a look at his major achievements with Junior de Barranquilla, FC Porto and Liverpool FC.
