Liverpool forward Diogo Jota revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo’s heroics with Manchester United made him his idol. Jota is using his compatriot as an example to follow.
Jota is currently all set to line up alongside Cristiano Ronaldo for Portugal as they look to defend their title at the Euros. The 24-year-old showed glimpses of his talent in his debut season at Liverpool despite getting injured. Jota is looking to take inspiration from Ronaldo as he looks to set the stand for the younger players around him.
The 24-year-old recently told FourFourTwo, “Cristiano was my idol – I saw him playing at the highest level at Manchester United, winning the Ballon d’Or and other awards.
“Being Portuguese, I’ve always looked up to him as an example to follow.
“When I made my international debut against Lithuania in November 2019, I came on as a substitute for him, which made the moment more special for me. I can only be grateful to have the opportunity to share a dressing room with him.”
While Jota shares the dressing room with one of the best players, he also has the opportunity to learn from one of the best coaches in Jurgen Klopp. The German is one of the best tactical minds around having won the Champions League and the Premier League glory for Liverpool.
Speaking about Klopp, Jota said, “He’s exactly the manager that he appears to be – very communicative, and he enjoys being close to the players.”
The Portuguese winger also shared an anecdote regarding his first interaction with Klopp. He also revealed his admiration for the German tactician.
“He will send you a text out of nowhere when you’re relaxing on the sofa at home. It’s the sort of thing that had never happened to me, and that surprised me in the most positive way. It’s just one of his great assets.
“Before signing the papers, I had a video call with him. I don’t think he was expecting to convince me, because I was already convinced.
“He’s a coach who I admire and had been following for a long time, so this was a unique opportunity in my career and I couldn’t afford to lose it.
“We usually say that we don’t have to think twice. In this case, I didn’t think once – it was a no-brainer.
“I was very well received by everyone at the club, which certainly helped me.”
Jota also added how he is familiar with Brazilians mainly because of their similar language. He also revealed his good relationship with Jordan Henderson, James Milner and others.
“I’m close to the Brazilians, especially Fabinho because of the language, but I also have a good relationship with Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson.
“Liverpool play offensive football, which gives me more chances to score. It’s up to me to take advantage of that.”
