Michael Dawson has agreed with Jurgen Klopp that Diogo Jota is a ‘world-class’ player for Liverpool, as he told Soccer Saturday on Sky Sports (22/01/22 at 1:25 pm).
The former Premier League defender admitted that, when Jota was first signed up by Liverpool, he thought he was going to be a ‘bench’ player, but now he feels that he is a ‘bargain’.
No Mo Salah and Sadio Mane? No problem for Liverpool on Thursday night against Arsenal.
The Reds booked their first Wembley final in six years when they knocked Mikel Arteta’s side out of the League Cup thanks to a brace from Jota.
The Portugal international is proving to be a real difference-maker for the League Cup finalists and one of the club’s best players.
Whilst Dawson had question marks over the player, before he swapped Wolves for Liverpool, he has now well and truly changed his mind.
“Yes, I do (think that Jota is world-class after Klopp’s comments),” said Dawson. “I think he is that good.
“We sit on the show and talk about ‘how are they going to deal without a Mane and a Salah?’
“When Jota first went there, I thought, ‘how is he going to get into the team? Where he is going to play? Firmino there. And a front three as good as anyone in the world.
“I just thought, ‘he is going to be a bench player’. But how he has gone in by scoring goals. And he has stepped up to the mark without the superstars. And he is one of them at Liverpool now – what a signing he has been. £40 million I think it was? That’s a bargain.”
The most impressive part of Jota’s game is that he has earned his starts, after high-quality performances from the bench.
It all started with his debut performance, ironically enough against Arsenal, when he came off the bench to score last season.
He continued banging the door down from the bench or when he was handed starts, including a hat-trick in the Champions League.
And now Klopp is left with no choice, but to push Jota ahead of Roberto Firmino when everybody is fit.
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