“I can't imagine what he's going through" - Liverpool star praises Luis Diaz's 'character and inner strength' after 1-1 draw against Luton

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker has hailed his teammate Luis Diaz after his late equalizer in the 1-1 Premier League draw at Luton Town on Sunday (November 5).

The Reds went down a goal in the 80th minute as Tahith Chong opened the scoring for Luton. However, Jurgen Klopp's side hit back through Diaz in the fifth minute of added time to force a share of the spoils.

Diaz missed the last two games against Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth after his parents were kidnapped last week in Colombia. Although his mother was released by the captors, Diaz's father remains at large, prompting widespread calls for his release.

Despite his far-from-ideal mental state, Diaz came off the bench at Kenilworth Road to score a late goal and deny Luton a famous win.

Alisson said that Diaz displayed exemplary mental strength and character to make the difference for Liverpool amidst personal turmoil (as per Liverpool Echo):

"It says a lot about his character and inner strength. I can't imagine what he's going through. We're supporting him and feeling his pain, but for him, it's a different level.

"Football can bring joy to someone who is struggling. Football is bringing joy to Luis at this moment. He scored a fantastic goal for us, which was really important. When you're on the pitch, you focus on the job. He did it for us."

Following his strike, Diaz unveiled a T-shirt with the message “Libertad Para Papa” – freedom for father – written on it. Meanwhile, the draw took the Reds to third in the league standings, with 24 points from 11 games, three behind leaders Manchester City.

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How has Luis Diaz fared for Liverpool this season?

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was spared the blushes by Luis Diaz (not in pic).

Luis Diaz has had a decent 2023-24 campaign for Liverpool, bagging four goals and an assist in 12 games across competitions. The tally includes three strikes in 10 league outings, with the other coming in the UEFA Europa League.

Having missed the last two games against Nottingham Forest (league) and Bournemouth (EFL Cup), Diaz made a seven-minute cameo at Kenilworth Road and spared Reds manager Jurgen Klopp's side their blushes.

The Reds had won their last four games across competitions but were almost undone by Chong's late opener before Diaz intervened in stoppage time.