FC Porto winger Luis Diaz looks all set for a move to Liverpool.
The talented winger’s services have been well sought after and it seems likely that Liverpool will end up securing his signature, beating out Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
The Colombian will now rub shoulders with some of the best players in the world, and his journey to this stage is uplifting, to say the least.
A skinny teenager
Throughout his career, the winger was deemed to be underweight due to a low body mass.
At 17, Diaz was in dire physical shape, unknown and playing on dusty pitches in his remote village.
The 25-year-old grew up in poverty, he ate only goat for most meals and didn’t even have a television.
Coming from indigenous Wayuu heritage, he played football in the village team run by his family.
A lucky break
For the Copa America in Chile, the Colombian national team was looking to put together a side with indigenous players.
Diaz’s family were invited to send some player for the trial in Bogota, and the winger received his first big opportunity.
Initially written off for being too skinny, Diaz impressed in training and was picked for the national side.
His performances throughout the tournament grabbed the attention of Colombian legend Carlos Valderrama, who took him to his former club, Atletico Junior, for a trial.
After selection for the club, Diaz was sent to their second division affiliate Barranquilla FC.
The rise to fame
Now at a professional club, the winger was assigned a high protein diet to gain weight.
Diaz never looked back and began his climb up the ladder of European football.
In 2017 he came back across to Junior and then took a further step up in 2019 and joined FC Porto.
And within just 2 years, Diaz was level with Leo Messi at the top of the goalscorers table at the Copa America.
From the looks of it, his climb to the top could now reach a summit as he joins Jurgen Klopp’s flamboyant Liverpool side.
His rags to riches story is one filled with determination and passion, and Diaz remembered to never forget his humble beginnings.
In fact, upon learning of his selection for the 2021 Copa America, the winger celebrated by having a kick about with his friends and family back at his village.
After being the revelation of the Copa America, picked into the best XI, amid transfer rumors to the biggest clubs in Europe…
— Parceros United (@ParcerosUnited) July 15, 2021
Luis Díaz plays pickup with his friends in his hometown of Barrancas, La Guajira! 😍💫
pic.twitter.com/It1nrLuBRl
