Former Maritimo coach Julio Velazquez is convinced Luis Diaz is destined for big things at Liverpool.

The Spaniard saw plenty of Diaz before he left Porto in January for the Reds.

He told the Liverpool Echo: “Luis Diaz is a world-class player, there is no doubt about it.

"Luis is at an extraordinary level, he can play in any top team in European football, and he was a player that was in the top five of the Portuguese league. He was one of the most important in the championship. He's someone who can solve a game, he very strong in one-on-one situations with a lot of ability to hurt the opponent and fantastic in the last third of the pitch. He makes the difference.

“In my opinion he hasn't reached his peak yet. He's still very young, he has a lot of ability, and some people who know him well tell me that he also has those qualities at a human level, which is also very important for him to evolve and have the hunger to improve more and more. From my point of view, there is no doubt that he has not yet reached the peak of his capabilities and he can improve in all aspects."