NewsHow Luis Diaz's Barrancas upbringing made him the footballer he is

The 27-year-old credits his raising in the town of Barrancas, located in the region of La Guajira, for making him the joyous person and talented footballer he is.

Diaz's exploits with Barranquilla FC and Junior in his homeland eventually drew the attention of FC Porto, where he thrived for two-and-a-half seasons before the Reds made their move in January 2022.

Looking back on his roots, Diaz recently told UEFA: "[Growing up in] La Guajira, let's say, is the best thing that has ever happened to me.

"Barrancas is a place that I'm proud of, knowing that I was born there, knowing that I came from there. The fact that my roots are in Barrancas has always been something that I have been proud of.

"[I'm from] a very small village. There is a side to it that's like many towns and cities, but it's a very friendly village, [and it's] very beautiful, very pleasant and very cheerful. The people there are very nice.

"The main characteristics are that it's, let's say, a very small village. Most people there know each other, they get along very well with each other. They're determined people, they also strive to better themselves.

"No matter how few opportunities they get and how little they have, they are always trying to live life with a smile on their face, trying to forge the best path forward for themselves, trying to be happy with what they have.

"They're always cheerful, they're always living life with a smile on their face and they're always trying to forge the best path forward for themselves."

To date, Diaz has produced 29 goals and 11 assists for Liverpool, lifting the Emirates FA Cup and two Carabao Cups along the way.

The No.7 shared a couple of memories from his childhood in Barrancas that highlight certain characteristics still seen in his play now within Arne Slot's side.

"The nail story, yes!" Diaz began. "It was great. When we were playing on a pitch in front of my grandmother's house, all we cared about was playing football and having a good time.

"It used to be a dirt pitch, with stones, poor quality, but we were happy and we would play there. That's where the story about my nail comes in. There were too many stones and the ground was too dirty. I hit the ball wrong and my toenail came off.

"I said, 'I don't mind, I want to keep playing.' I wanted to keep playing. That was all I wanted to do. I don't know, I really didn't care much about anything else. I took a plaster and carried on. I have so many stories from there, where children were playing.

"I have a very nice story that took place in a park, Parque Romero. This is a very popular park in Barrancas. It was a big tournament featuring many local teams.

"I was a child and we had a very good team. We played in the final. The final was great. At the beginning, we were 3-0 down. I came off the bench, changed the match [and] scored a goal.

"We went to a penalty shootout. It was 3-3, then 4-3, then 4-4. And I scored the last penalty in the final, and we won the tournament. It was a fabulous day."

Diaz's rise throughout his career is yet to dampen his determination.

A standout performer from the Reds' start to 2024-25, the attacker already has five goals to his name and carries a target of improving on the 13 he netted last term.

"Let's hope so! That's the idea," he said. "I always think about helping the team, which is the most important thing. I think it's a good number.

"I always try to get better each year, to improve what I did the previous one, and the goals and assists come on their own."