Paul Scholes has singled out one ‘very important’ Liverpool player for praise after the Reds defeated Burnley 2-0 on Boxing Day.
The match saw Diogo Jota spring from the bench in the closing minutes as he made his comeback from a recent muscle injury, an inspired substitution as the £140,000-per-week forward scored the late goal that put the result beyond doubt.
That took the 27-year-old’s tally for the season to nine, the second highest at Anfield after Mo Salah’s 16 (Transfermarkt), and the ex-Manchester United midfielder explained why he thinks the Portuguese winger is so crucial to Jurgen Klopp’s side.
Speaking on Premier League Productions (26 December, 19:35) after the goal at Turf Moor, Scholes said of Jota: “He is [important]. He chips in with a lot of goals and a lot of very important goals.
“It’s good to come on for the last five or 10 minutes for a cameo appearance. It’s a good goal. It’s not one he meant, but just hit it as hard and low as you can, and then hope it goes in.
“He is a very important player for Liverpool. Not all of their front three chip in a lot, but he seems to be the one from Salah who does.”
Jota’s goal at Burnley was his 50th for Liverpool midway through his fourth season at the club, a landmark he’d surely have reached much sooner if it weren’t for two long-term injuries during his time at Anfield.
Despite playing the fewest minutes out of the Reds’ five senior forwards so far this term, only Salah has a higher goal tally (Transfermarkt), which goes
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