Diogo Jota reveals lofty ambitions for return from injury

Liverpool forward Diogo Jota has spoken about his desire to become 'a big influence' for the Premier League champions.

Having hit the ground running since joining for £41m from Wolves in the summer, Jota suffered a knee injury in the Reds' last Champions League group game against Midtjylland in early December.

The 24-year-old forward has scored nine goals in 17 appearances for Liverpool this season, bagging a Champions League hat-trick along the way. His move from Molineux was initially welcomed with a degree of scepticism, but his performances and numbers surpassed all expectations before his injury.

The Portuguese spoke about his knock (via the Daily Mail) saying: "Knee injuries are always complicated so we cannot rush things, but I am doing well and I will be back on the field as soon as possible. When I'm fit I know I'll give my best in each training session to give myself a chance of playing."

On his battle to recovery, Jota went on to explain his desire to not only to return to the fold but to be of significant importance for his club.

"In Portugal they used to say the hardest thing is not to arrive but to stay there. So that of course is my target," he said. "Now that I have achieved a move to Liverpool I want to be a big influence in this club and that's what I try to do every day."

Jota became the first Liverpool player to score in his first four Anfield games | Soccrates Images/Getty Images

Asked about whether he can play alongside Liverpool's dynamic leading trio of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane, Jota deflected the question, stating it was his manager Jürgen Klopp's decision to make.

"When I first came my target was to get into the team and to know what we have to do on the field," he said. "After that the aim is to give your best and take advantage of the opportunities you might have and that's all I always try to do. Can we play as a four more often in the future? You would need to ask the manager as he is the one that decides."

Salah, Mane and Firmino are almost undroppable | Pool/Getty Images

The Liverpool October and November player of the month closed by stating how difficult it has been to watch his teammates while injured, sympathising with the fans of the club.

He added: "Now I am supporting from the outside it is not easy. It's even harder when you need to suffer as a fan and you can do literally nothing to help the team on the field."


Source : 90min