Diogo Jota on his first year at Liverpool: I always try to do my best

While assessing his first year at Liverpool, Diogo Jota said that he will always try to do his best when he is on the pitch. He has also pledged that the Reds will strive to compete for silverware on all fronts this season. It’s been 12 months since the Portuguese forward moved to Anfield, and he has instantly become a regular in the first team. It is his ability to find the back of the net consistently that has made him an instant fan favourite. In his pre-match press-conference, Jota said, “Well, 12 months like you said, it’s already a mark.”

“I think playing for this amazing club with such surroundings like Anfield, so much support all over the world, it’s special. In the end, all we players want to provide to every person [with] is to win football matches and to win competitions. So, we are at the start of a new season and we will go for everything. Well, I think I always try to do my best in terms of being on the pitch, being able to help my teammates. That’s always what I try to do and I think playing under Jurgen and with this team, it helped me as well because we played a lot of attacking football and me being an attacking player I take advantage of that because I’m always around the goal.”

Speaking about the Champions League, Jota said, “I had the opportunity to see how it is to play in a full Anfield on a European night. I think it was massive for me, it was my first experience – I knew it was going to be, but when you are really there that’s when you really learn. I think in the first half AC Milan, although they were winning I don’t know how… we did a fantastic first half and the fans there really pushed us and they are really useful to our style of game.”

‘I never thought about coming and taking anyone’s place’

He also spoke about fighting for a place in a team that already consists of Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah in their attacking department. “Obviously I knew they were one of the best attacking trios in the world but I never thought about coming and taking anyone’s place. I thought about coming and to give my best in training and in games, and then it is up to the manager to decide. I think it’s always useful when you have those kind of players to help you, because in the end what we want is to win and only if you have good players you are able to do that.”

When asked about what kind of Porto team he is expecting to face, Jota replied, “I would say it will be closer to the team that came up against Chelsea [in last season’s Champions League]. Obviously Porto’s objective in the games they lost to Liverpool, they intended to give a difficult game, but that’s football. Sometimes we can’t impose our game plan, sometimes we can. But I’m sure it will be a tough game tomorrow.”