"An extraordinary player" - West Ham defender Ben Johnson names Liverpool attacker as his toughest opponent this season

Ben Johnson has been impressed with Luis Diaz

West Ham defender Ben Johnson has heaped praise on Liverpool attacker Luis Diaz for hitting the ground running in England.

The Reds acquired Diaz's services from Portuguese giants FC Porto in January for a deal worth up to £50 million. Jurgen Klopp's side viewed the 25-year-old as a target for the summer, but interest from Tottenham Hotspur forced them to bring their plans forward.

The moment you’ve been waiting for…

Luis Diaz is a RED 🔴 #VamosLuis https://t.co/wl9koUlPgl

Diaz has taken little to no time to adapt to life in England and has made 12 appearances for the Reds already. The Colombia international has found the back of the net twice in the process as well.

Six of Diaz's 12 appearances for Liverpool have come in the Premier League, with him being a starter in each of them. The former Porto attacker, who is primarily a left winger, has given a tough time to almost all the right-backs he has gone up against in England.

Among the full-backs who have struggled to cope with Diaz's qualities is West Ham's Johnson. The Englishman has named the Colombian as the best player he has faced this season. The defender also hailed the Liverpool attacker as an 'extraordinary player'. He said on The FPL Show:

"Luis Diaz from Liverpool, yeah. Wow, [he is] an extraordinary player. He's so sharp, he tracks back, he's strong, he's got a good leap. So he has adapted to life in England so quickly and to play for a top club like Liverpool."

📊 STAT: Since making his Premier League debut against Leicester City on February 10, the Luis Diaz leads the Premier League for most carries of the ball with a take-on [15]. #awlive [lfc]

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Diaz started for the Reds in their 1-0 victory over West Ham in the Premier League last month. Sadio Mane scored the winner for Klopp's side at Anfield that day, with Trent Alexander-Arnold providing the assist. It is worth noting that Diaz managed to give Johnson a tough time despite not contributing to a goal for his side.

Diaz left as unused substitute in Liverpool's win against Watford

The Reds extended their winning run in the Premier League to 10 games on Saturday. They registered a 2-0 victory over relegation-battling Watford at Anfield, with Diogo Jota and Fabinho finding the back of the net.

Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Jota led the attack for Jurgen Klopp's side on the afternoon. Sadio Mane and Luis Diaz were left on the bench. While the former replaced Salah in the second half, the latter remained an unused substitute in the match.

Diaz will be disappointed to have not played against Watford despite starting in each of Reds' last five league games.