Jorge Jesus weighs in on Liverpool’s latest star Diogo Jota

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Plaudits continue to fly the way of Diogo Jota, after the star hit a brilliant hat-trick for Liverpool against Atalanta in the Champions League.

The 23-year-old has made a stunning start to his Anfield career, having now scored seven goals in 10 Reds appearances.

Lots of eyebrows were raised when he completed a £45 million transfer to the club from Wolves out of the blue in September.

But the sceptics are in short supply now, with Jota seemingly poised to become a regular starter in Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Lots have moved to praise Jota for his excellent early form, including his fellow countryman Jorge Jesus the Benfica coach, who believes his rise is exciting for Portuguese football.

The 66-year-old has been a keen admirer of Jota, and has previously seen him up close as manager of Sporting CP a few years ago when Jota spent a season on loan at FC Porto.

He said on the eve of his current side’s Europa League game with Rangers (A Bola): “Diogo Jota is one of those players who started out of nowhere, didn’t have the ease to start with a big team, and went up until he got to where he arrived.

“Last year he was a surprise in the English Championship and now he has reached the best team in the world, who won all last year, and I know that I was one of their victims in the Club World Cup [as Flamengo manager].

“When you arrive at Liverpool and play even with Salah, Mané and Firmino you have to be a great player. It is good for Portuguese football, for the national team and for Fernando Santos.”

TBR’s View – Jota to take over Ronaldo’s mantle?

£90,000-a-week star Jota (Total Sportekz) has every chance of going on to become a world-class player, just like Mane and Salah.

Playing in a team like Liverpool’s under a coach like Klopp really does hand him a great chance to get him to that elite level, and he may well become Portugal’s next talisman.

As fit as he is for his age, Cristiano Ronaldo cannot go on forever and Jota seems like an ideal candidate to become the nation’s next talisman.