“I actually feel a little embarrassed” – Adam Lallana makes honest admission about Luis Diaz at Liverpool

Former Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana has admitted that he hadn't heard of Luis Diaz before the Reds signed him. Lallana added, however, that it just proved the shrewdness of his former club with respect to transfers.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live Sport, the Brighton & Hove Albion player praised Diaz for his impact after arriving at Anfield in January. Lallana said (as quoted by the Liverpool Echo):

“I still can’t believe how well Diaz has settled, having been a player that has gone to Liverpool and knowing how difficult it was to settle. I am not sure what Diaz’s English is like. But coming from a different country in January, and to play the way he has played, is absolutely phenomenal.”

The Englishman went on to add:

“I actually feel a little embarrassed that I hadn’t heard about him before. That just shows the level of recruitment at Liverpool. They have been spot on in that kind of £50million bracket. With [Mohamed] Salah, [Sadio] Mane, [Roberto] Firmino and [Diogo] Jota, they have just got it right.”

Diaz has had an incredible impact in his limited time in English football. He was one of the Reds' best players in their Carabao Cup final win on penalties against Chelsea last month. Lallana also acknowledged Diaz's performance against the Blues, stating:

“I was at Wembley, to see how he performed, I think he was Liverpool’s best player and most dynamic.”

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Luis Diaz expected to play crucial role as Liverpool look to challenge on all fronts

Diaz has settled in extremely well after arriving from FC Porto for an initial fee of around £37 million. Reds boss Jurgen Klopp has also ensured that the Colombian's transition has been smooth by not playing him too much in his initial few matches.

The 25-year-old accumulated just 38 minutes across both legs in the club's UEFA Champions League Round of 16 win against Inter Milan. However, Diaz is expected to play a lot more as we enter the business end of the 2021-22 campaign.

He has already been quite active in the league, racking up 355 minutes in his first four appearances and scoring a goal as well. With the Reds still challenging for the FA Cup, Champions League and Premier League titles, Klopp will likely look to rotate and keep his squad fresh.

Consequently, Diaz may not play the full 90 minutes in some of his side's matches until the end of the season. However, he will undoubtedly be a key piece if they are to pick up an unprecedented quadruple.