Jurgen Klopp delighted at return to form of 'exceptional' Diogo Jota for Liverpool

Portuguese forward has scored four goals in two games after injury-hit season

Diogo Jota ends his 12-month scoring drought during Liverpool's 6-1 Premier League win at Leeds United on April 17, 2023. Reuters

Jurgen Klopp paid tribute to “exceptional” Diogo Jota and expressed his delight that the Liverpool forward is finally back to full fitness.

It has been a nightmare campaign for Jota who missed most of pre-season after aggravating a hamstring problem in mid-July on the club's tour of Thailand, which stopped him playing again until the start of September.

He then sustained a serious calf injury during Liverpool's 1-0 Premier League win over Manchester City at Anfield in October, which also ruled him out of Portugal's World Cup campaign in Qatar.

The 26-year-old returned for Jurgen Klopp's side in February but it was not until the 6-1 thrashing of Leeds United that Jota was back among the goals – scoring twice at Elland Road, ending a Liverpool drought that had lasted more than 12 months.

He then followed that up with another brace in the 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest at the weekend and manager Klopp believes the player has finally recovered from his injury woes.

“He just got back up to speed,” the German coach said, ahead of Liverpool's match at West Ham United on Wednesday. “He is an exceptional player.

Liverpool 3 Nottingham Forest 2: Player ratings

“Since Diogo joined us he did exceptional stuff for us. He's super smart, can play a lot of different positions, he has super interesting skills for an offensive player.

“He's not the tallest but an extreme threat in the air, his timing is top, he can finish with both feet, which is extremely helpful, and has the speed.

“Diogo this season had a really bad injury, that kept him back, nothing else. If he stays fit he is an outstanding player.

“When you are injured you need rhythm. It is an continuing season and nobody waits for you – that is the most difficult thing.

“Now it's really cool he could score these goals because all of them were, for us, super important.”

Jota himself said the team should take heart from recording back-to-back victories that have lifted the Merseyside club up to seventh in the Premier League table – a point behind Aston Villa with a game in hand, but still nine behind Manchester United in fourth.

Leeds 1 Liverpool 6: Player ratings

“It gives confidence to the team,” said Jota. “We believe in what we are doing and against Arsenal [that finished in a 2-2 draw] the win was there for us in the end but unfortunately we could not take it.

“But it’s two in a row already and this is the only way we can fight to be in the highest position in the table.”

Klopp, though, played down the victories insisting the team still has plenty to improve on after what has been a tough campaign for the Anfield club.

“Nothing,” the former Borussia Dortmund coach said when asked what Liverpool had shown with their last two results. “You could say the same about West Ham, they've found their feet as well so let's see about that.

“We have to still prove ourselves. We cannot talk about consistency when you win two games, especially when you win the second one like we did [against Forest] where the defending was not perfect to say the least.

“We have to keep it going. There were a lot of things to like in the last two, two and a half games and that's what we have to continue. We have to make sure it's not too difficult for people to watch us, that they like it again.”