Former Premier League star Stuart Pearce has tipped Liverpool's Luis Diaz to win player of the year.
Diaz joined the Reds in January for an initial fee of £37 million.
Based on his performances in the Premier League and Champions League last season, the winger looks like a real bargain.
But the pressure is now on the Columbian, who’ll be taking on the mantle of becoming a nailed on starter for Liverpool this campaign.
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With Sadio Mane leaving, the player is now very much the first choice in the left-forward position
And ex-England international Stuart Pearce believes Diaz will thrive under the pressure.
Speaking to TalkSport, Pearce asserted his belief that “Diaz could be Player of the Year” for Liverpool this season.
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The ex-West Ham defender added he was “so impressed with Diaz last season, and how he hit the ground running.”
Pearce believes the 25-year-old is “almost unshakeable on the ball.” He went as far as to say Diaz “could be a slightly better player” than Sadio Mané “and a better goal scorer.”
The praise is high for Diaz, and perhaps a tad exaggerated, but it’s easy to understand why he rates him so highly.
The Columbian is the type of player to get fans on the edge of their seats.
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He works his socks off, he runs hard with the ball, and he never shies away from having a shot on goal.
His effervescent nature helps to make him an archetypal Jürgen Klopp forward, and one suspects he’ll only get better as he gains more experience of English football.
Liverpool fans will doubtlessly notice the hole in the squad Sadio Mané leaves behind him this season.
But in Luis Diaz, Klopp already has a ready made replacement.
Robert Worthington