Luis Díaz surprised the Liverpool youth player with the most tender gesture

Liverpool youngster Luca Stephenson has revealed how facing off against Luis Díaz during pre-season helped boost his confidence. The young left-back, who spent time on loan at Barrow last season, was called up to the first team squad during the summer due to a number of senior players being away on international duty.

• Recomendado

  He is the highest paid soccer player in the world and look how many goals Cristiano Ronaldo scored

• Recomendado

  Guardiola confesses his pain at Manchester City: "A friend is leaving"

During his time with the first team, Stephenson had the opportunity to train alongside and mark some of the world's best players, including Díaz. The Colombian winger has been a standout performer for Liverpool since his arrival from Porto in 2022 and his pace, skill, and direct running make him a nightmare for defenders.

Speaking to Liverpool Echo, Stephenson said: “The quality of the first team is just outrageous, isn’t it? You’re training against Luis Díaz, Fabio Carvalho was still there, those players were playing left wing and attacking you in training… I’m looking forward to it but thinking, ‘God, this is going to be a tough session!’ But it does you the world of good because now I’m thinking that if I can come through a 90-minute game at home against Luis Díaz, then I can have full confidence to play against anyone, as he’s one of the best wingers in the world.”

Stephenson, who has since been loaned out to Dundee United for the 2023/24 season, said that marking Díaz was a challenging but rewarding experience. He believes that the experience of playing against such a high-quality player will help him to develop as a footballer.

“Luis Díaz is one of the best wingers in the world,” said Stephenson. “It was a great experience for me to be able to train and play against him. It really pushed me to improve my game.”

Díaz has been in excellent form for Liverpool this season, scoring five goals and providing one assist in the Premier League. The Colombian winger has quickly become a fan favorite at Anfield and his performances have helped Liverpool to challenge for the Premier League title.