Luis Diaz got involved in a game for the reopening of the Estadio Federico Serrano Soto near his hometown in La Guajira, with his goal sparking a pitch invasion.
It has been a whirlwind year for Diaz so far, who left Porto for Liverpool in a surprise £50 million deal in January and immediately established himself as a key player.
Within two weeks of his debut he had scored his first goal, within three weeks he was top performer in the League Cup final and by the end of the season he had won two trophies.
He is a player of very humble beginnings, having grown up in one of the most impoverished areas of Colombia, and upon the end of the season, Diaz made his way back to Barranquilla.
There, he has reconnected with family and friends and met locals enraptured by his rise to the very pinnacle of European football.
Friday saw Diaz feature in an exhibition game for the reopening of the Estadio Federico Serrano Soto, which has recently undergone extensive remodelling and improvements, and he wowed the fans in attendance.
Wearing the No. 14 shirt, the 25-year-old dazzled in a brief outing, including a brilliant piece of juggling skill followed by a now-trademark no-look pass.
And a goal from the 25-year-old brought the game to a standstill as supporters charged onto the pitch to celebrate with their new idol.
? Luis Díaz played a few minutes yesterday in a match at the reopening of the Federico Serrano Soto Stadium in Riohacha, La Guajira. An iconic moment
? He scored a goal and people invaded the field to hug him. The pride of his land ?? pic.twitter.com/BUTBX6fIdq
— Pipe Sierra (@PSierraR) June 18, 2022
There may be some concern over Diaz’s safety in these surroundings by those within his new club, but that he was eager to get involved on a big day for Riohacha shows the character that will have helped convince Liverpool to sign him.
Diaz has a genuine modesty to him and this has shone through during the post-season, with echoes of Sadio Mane, who himself was involved in a similar community game in his home village of Bambaly this week.
Speaking during a Q&A session at the event, Diaz told supporters of how he was embracing his new position as a role model.
“I am happy with everything that is happening in my football career,” he said, as per El Heraldo.
“The idea is that the children follow a good example. I will continue fighting and growing.”
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