Diogo Jota names Liverpool teammate as most technically gifted he's ever played with

Diogo Jota has identified Liverpool teammate Thiago Alcantara as the most technically gifted footballer he has ever played with.

The 32-year-old playmaker made his long awaited comeback for the Reds at the tail-end of Sunday's disappointing 3-1 defeat to Arsenal, coming off the bench to make a cameo on 85 minutes.

It was the first outing for Thiago in a Liverpool shirt this season, with the former Bayern Munich and Barcelona star sidelined since last April after a slow recovery from hip surgery.

While Liverpool's new-look midfield has impressed in 2023/24, the No. 6's classy presence has been missed nonetheless and fans will be excited at the prospect of having such an option in the run-in, as the Reds compete for four trophies.

Speaking to Sky Sports prior to Sunday's game, Jota whetted fans' appetite for the returning Thiago by singing the praises of his teammate.

Responding to fan questions, the in-form Liverpool forward confirmed what many would've already suspected when he hardly missed a beat to name the No. 6 as the best technically he's every had the honour playing alongside.

"Thiago Alcantara," Jota said.

"I think, obviously, Liverpool is… I could have said Bernardo Silva now that I think about the national team but Thiago is a good shout!

"I don’t think I need to explain much, he is technically gifted – it looks like it at least!"

Pressed on what qualities of Thiago's he'd like to have himself, Jota added: "He's obviously a world class player but he plays in a very different role to mine Maybe the way he controls, we call it, 'orientation'."

Thiago's last start for Liverpool came almost exactly a year ago in the disastrous 3-0 defeat to Wolves at Molineux. He made four more sub appearances before the end of the 2022/23 season, but didn't feature again for over nine months as a result of setbacks in his recovery post-surgery.

When fit, the La Masia graduate — whose contract expires this summer — has the potential to give Jurgen Klopp's a different dimension, with his near unparalleled technical prowess and ability to control the tempo.

Should he remain available, he could prove an important asset in the Reds' hunt for trophies.