ANDY ROBERTSON BELIEVES team-mate Luis Diaz will be a “scary” prospect once he is fully into his stride at Liverpool.
There is an argument that the Colombia international is not doing too badly already having made the sort of impact only he and manager Jurgen Klopp could have dreamed of when he arrived as a opportunistic signing in January.
It is not that Liverpool were not tracking the 25-year-old – a host of clubs were, including city rivals Everton who tried to sign him from Porto as part of a failed swap deal with James Rodriguez – but they sprang into action when it emerged Tottenham were trying to get a deal done.
Within two days they had completed a medical in South America and clinched a deal for an initial fee of £37.5million and if his performances had not already demonstrated what a bargain that is likely to be, his second-half cameo in Tuesday night’s 3-2 Champions League semi-final second-leg win in Villarreal underlined it.
In a 45-minute spell, man-of-the-match Diaz completed 100 per cent of his take-ons, had a 90 per cent pass accuracy, four shots (the most of any player) and scored one goal in a display which helped turned around a 2-0 half-time deficit and eliminate the threat of the club missing out on a third final in five seasons with a 5-3 aggregate victory.
But Robertson believes the best is yet to come from the winger, who was in tears at the final whistle having put on a show for brother Jesus, who was in the stands to watch him.
“He has been special. We’ve tried to help him as much as we can, all the players. We know how difficult it is coming in in January,” said the Scotland captain.
“The coaches and everyone else have got him up to speed but he is a special, special player. The talent he has and the will to win – he just fits us perfectly.
“It was tough to take (Diogo) Jota off, I think he has been excellent this season, but Luis came on and made a big, big difference. He played on the left, started pushing them back, dribbling the ball and everything. A really good half from him.
“He’s been special since he came in and it’s been a pleasure to play with him. Hopefully he will only get better.
“With a full pre-season under his belt, I believe he will get better, which is scary, but what he has produced in the here and now is pretty special as well.”
The six-time European Cup winners are now in their 10th final, easily the most by an English club and incredibly still remain on course for an unprecedented quadruple.
By the end of the campaign, Klopp’s side will have played 63 matches – every match in which they could have been involved in – and with the Carabao Cup already in the trophy cabinet, the expectation is more silverware will join it.
“We just enjoy getting to this final,” added Robertson, who maintained the mantra which has emanated from the club since January about focusing only on the next game.
“It is so hard to get to Champions League finals, especially the amount of good teams that are in this competition, so to get to the final is an incredible feeling.
“To make this the third in the space of five years is incredible from this group of boys. As players and fans and everyone alike, (we) should never ever take this for granted.
“It’s going to be a special occasion, we are looking forward to it but we have a lot of games between now and then.
“Our season has been extended but for the right reasons and we are so happy for it and we can’t wait for it to try to go and compete and try and make it number seven.”
This was for the legendary Andrew O Donnell RIP.
Come on the Little Village.
Andrew O Donnell would be beaming
This was for the legendary Andrew O Donnell RIP.
Come on the Little Village.
This was for the legendary Andrew O Donnell RIP.
Come on the Little Village.
This was for the legendary Andrew O Donnell RIP.
Come on the Little Village.
Ryan Deegan scored the first goal for Davis
God I hate that Thomas Davis club so much, run by fools, coaches are fools,I’ll never forget them bringing shamrock rovers to court cause the sdcc was giving us a stadium, like they already get enough from government for the terrible little club house they have,
@Happy entertainment: bit rich someone from SRFC talking about other clubs being run by fools. How is the grass growing in Glenmalure?
@PJL M: oh our Glenmalure suite in our nice big tallaght stadium is going great how is the little club house?we make more money in a week than you guys in a year so rovers must not be that badly run,
@Happy entertainment: yeah, it will never be your real home in Milltown, maybe some fools running your club made a mess of things…
@PJL M: it is our real home, and yeah many years ago the it was run by ppl who sold the fans out,sure I suppose they should have burnt it down for insurance purposes instead like some places do hint hint new club house that is still a kip,anyway you just enjoy it while it lasts numbers down in Thomas Davis , supporters down and believe me I know very well how Thomas Davis is run was involved in it for years until they tried to rob what was not for them,
@Happy entertainment: typical rovers
@John O Reilly: what’s typical?in fact you would say what Thomas Davis did was typical gaa, take what they don’t own
@Happy entertainment:”what they don’t own” have you heard anything in the news about the FAI & the people running it?
@my name: sorry who runs the fai?Do rovers run the fai?no they don’t you clown?but Thomas Davis were funded by the Gaa trying to take tallaght stadium
@Happy entertainment: it’s still extremely rich if you trying to take the moral high ground when your entire governing body is as corrupt as the Godfather series. Oh and you’re a clown
They could pass a ball to each other
Interesting that McDermottroe a former junior club player in Roscommon was the top scorer for Castleknock