Jurgen Klopp was delighted with Luis Diaz after the winger made his Liverpool debut but insisted there is no rush for him to settle in.
Diaz signed for the Reds from Porto in January for £37.5m, despite being heavily linked with Tottenham in the early stages of the transfer window.
The 25-year-old made his debut in Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Leicester, with Mohamed Salah only on the bench and Sadio Mane not available after their involvement in the Africa Cup of Nations final.
Liverpool’s star duo are now back which may limit Diaz’s opportunities in the weeks ahead, but Klopp was certainly impressed with the start he made.
“It was his first game and was probably one of the best I saw from a new player, that’s true, because he looked completely natural,” said Klopp.
“But it was only a first game and we have to see how he adapts to working with intensity and all these kind of things in the Premier League. There is no rush.
“Last night was a very good opportunity to start him because of Sadio not being here yet and Mo (Salah) coming back from an incredibly tense tournament. And yes, he showed up.”
Mane is expected to be named in Liverpool’s squad for the trip to Burnley this weekend, having returned to England on Wednesday, while Jordan Henderson is fit after missing the Leicester match.
The Reds have often been hit with a number of injuries in recent seasons, but Klopp now has plenty of options at his disposal.
“It didn’t happen a lot that we have this kind of quality players and they couldn’t make the squad,” Klopp said.
“But I’ve said it before, it’s more important how we play than who is playing.
“The situation is not easy to be a star in the team but it is not allowed to cost you confidence, thinking ‘I might play today but not tomorrow’.
“We have to make sure that as a group we use that situation in the best possible way.”
