InterviewLuis Diaz Q&A: Attacking competition, 'appreciating the good times', Bournemouth and more

Injuries limited the Colombia forward to 21 appearances last term but he kicked off the new Premier League campaign with the opening goal in last weekend's 1-1 draw at Chelsea.

Diaz is now setting his sights on the Reds collecting their first set of three points in the season this Saturday when AFC Bournemouth visit Anfield for a 3pm BST kick-off.

Liverpoolfc.com caught up with the No.7 to preview the fixture, as he also discussed his approach on the pitch and the attacking competition within the squad. Read on for the interview...

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Luis, first game done and a goal for you as well. What are your thoughts on the draw at Chelsea?

I think it's absolutely vital to start the season on the right foot, for sure. I think when you go to a place like Chelsea, to get a good away point like that is a solid start for the team. And for me personally, it's a real confidence boost when you can score early on in a season, so hopefully that's going to help me throughout the season as it progresses.

On the front line, the attack as a whole is so strong. Does that competition push you all to be at the very top of your game?

There is great competition amongst the members of this forward line and I think [there is] 100 per cent quality. We all try to give what we can to the team. I think in terms of the positive benefits for the team, it keeps you really 100 per cent at it in every training session. You know that every minute of every training session counts and you know that the manager is going to take the view that the people who are showing the best form and playing the best, they'll be the ones who are featuring in the following game. I think that's really good moving forward.

It's evident how much the Liverpool fans love you as you bring so much enjoyment every game. Is that something that's a big part of how you see the game in entertaining and having fun?

I've always been the sort of player who loves playing football. That's what makes me happy and it's very satisfying when you hear people within the game, and fans as well, really like my style. I do try to entertain and it's also clear that I'm always very, very happy on the field as well. It's something that I've always enjoyed doing and they're the sort of qualities that I try to emphasise when I'm out on the field, expressing myself.

You've come back from a really difficult time last season with injury. Did that really tough spell almost make you more appreciative of playing and strengthened you in a way?

I think it's always really, really important to be able to contribute to the team. Right now I feel 100 per cent in myself, I feel really, really good. I feel highly motivated and relaxed and calm at the same time, so that's good. I think when you do have adverse times, like you've referred to there, you do appreciate the good times a lot more. It teaches you to know that you're never really sure what's around the corner and what might happen next, so you have to enjoy every day as it happens and get the most out of it. You really appreciate the fact that you feel 100 per cent and you feel well in yourself. It was all about working really hard during those difficult times and training hard just to make sure that I could come back 100 per cent and start contributing again.

It's Bournemouth this weekend, so how much are you looking forward to being back at Anfield and what kind of a challenge will they pose?

First and foremost, it will be great to be back. It's the first match at Anfield for a few months and we'll be going all out to try to win and pick up the three points at home, as we always do. We always try to win our games, particularly at home in front of our fans. As regards to Bournemouth, I think there's never an easy game in the Premier League and they'll be tough, just like any other opponent. I think they might be the sort of side who will sit back a little bit and they'll try to hit us on the counter-attack, so we've got to be mindful of that. But the main thing is that we concentrate on playing our own game and it's all about having that real high-tempo intensity from minute one until minute 90 to make sure that we can deal with any of their threats and ensure we get the three points.