Not many players have made the impact at Anfield that Diogo Jota has enjoyed since his move from Wolves to Liverpool in the summer.
The flying Portuguese winger has been in sublime form from the outset of his Reds career and the 23-year-old must be living in dreamland, having forced his way into Jurgen Klopp’s illustrious and successful starting lineup.
Jota has spoken with The Athletic‘s Liverpool reporter James Pearce about his early weeks on Merseyside and his career to date, saying: “When you reach a new club, having an open mind is key to be able to adapt as quickly as possible, with the season underway already, it was up to me to find a way to get into the team and not the opposite. That’s what I did with the help of Jurgen.”
Signed for £41m after an unremarkable Premier League goals and assists return last season, some eyebrows may have been raised when the signing was confirmed/ However, yet again the recruitment at the Reds seems to be on point as the forward goes from strength to strength.
A ‘pressing monster’ recommended by Pep Lijnders, the Portugal international hailed the influence in helping him settle to two men in particular. He said: “He’s (Klopp) a fantastic manager who took care of me. Jordan Henderson was an important guy for me. He sent me a text message as soon as I knew I was signing for Liverpool and he has helped me.”
Having previously only played at a packed Anfield as a member of the opposition, as fans slowly make their way back inside stadia, Jota cannot wait to have Kopites cheering him on in the flesh.
He said: “Feeling the Anfield effect is the thing I am looking forward to the most. I can’t tell you how much. I’m just not able to get that feeling yet. But I hope that soon I can have it. Football without fans is nothing.”
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Some of Jota’s performances have been worthy of standing ovations from the famous Kop and, with any luck, it won’t be long before he can enjoy them for real.
With Liverpool safely securing their passage to the Champions League knockout stages, the round of 16 could foreseeably see more fans back and potentially another famous European night at Anfield, the perfect tonic for the Reds’ newest hero.
Henderson and Klopp’s involvement in helping the new arrival find his feet comes as no surprise to those outside the squad. A big part of this team’s success is the willingness to fight for one another and the togetherness which goes with it, all of which comes from the leaders within the group.
One thing is for sure – the impassioned Reds fans must be as excited about seeing Jota in the flesh as he is about seeing them watching on from inside Anfield.
