Liverpool Star Signing Told He Could Replace Cristiano Ronaldo

KEY POINTS

Jorge Simao once told Diogo Jota he could replace Cristiano Ronaldo as captain of Portugal
Simao said many are now starting to believe that he is right about his claim
Jota is now being lauded by some of the most notable names in Liverpool

Portuguese coach Jorge Simao could be right when he told his former player and Liverpool’s star signing, Diogo Jota, that he is a credible replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo.

Jota is having one of the best seasons of his career with Liverpool. There was not a lot of buzz about him when he joined the Reds in the summer, but things took a major turn when the season started and he quickly emerged as the team’s newest star.

The former Wolverhampton Wanderers goalscorer has already tallied a total of seven goals in just 10 games for the English Premier League champion this season.

Jota’s incredible start didn’t go unnoticed. Simao shared that people are now starting to believe him when he said his ex-prized ward has what it takes to become Portugal’s talisman.

"It doesn't surprise me that he's doing so well," he told Marca of Jota. "He's doing the same as he's always done, but at Liverpool, he's just more in the spotlight.”

“I remember when he signed for Porto I said that he'd be the replacement for Cristiano [Ronaldo] in the national team,” Simao continued. “There were raised eyebrows, but now a lot of people are saying the same."

One's a crowd: the stands were empty but Juventus and Cristiano Ronaldo drew a TV audience of more than 8 million when they returned to action in the Italian cup AFP / Miguel MEDINA

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, on the other hand, was thrilled to see how Jota “surprised” everybody in the league.

According to the German manager, the arrival of Jota could surely help the team “reach next level” and they are doing the same thing for his career.

"I’m not sure if ‘surprised’ is the right word, but I don’t expect that, to be honest," Klopp told Liverpool’s official website of Jota’s hot start at Anfield. "He is the player we thought he will be and we thought as well that we can help him to reach the next level like he can help us to reach the next level because of his quality."

Former Liverpool star John Barnes also recently heaped praise on Jota. The Anfield legend admitted that he never thought the Portuguese youngster will be as big as he is right now with Klopp’s side.

"I have been, I thought he [Jota] was a good player for Wolves, I thought he would do well but I don’t think anyone would imagine he’d be doing this well," Barnes told Bonuscodebets. "Every time Jota has come on as a sub or started he’s done really well and it shows from a recruitment point of view that Jurgen Klopp is still spot on with looking at players that he knows can fit into what he wants."