Luis Diaz will travel to Colombia next week for the first time since his parents were kidnapped, with both having thankfully now been freed from captivity.
The Liverpool forward has been named in his country’s squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Brazil and Paraguay (FCF.com), the first of which will take place in Barranquilla, the region in which he grew up.
The 26-year-old started for the Reds in Thursday’s 3-2 defeat to Toulouse, just a few hours after receiving the news that his father had been released after being held captive for nearly a fortnight.
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It was only last month that Diaz faced criticism within his homeland after a costly penalty miss in World Cup qualifying action, but his family’s subsequent ordeal saw the Colombian public rally around them while his father was in captivity (BBC).
In that moment, the people of his native country showed their true feelings for him, and the Liverpool winger is certain to get a rousing reception when he plays against Brazil on Thursday night.
He scored a last-minute equaliser against Luton last weekend in his first appearance since his parents’ kidnapping, and it’d be a hugely emotional moment if he could replicate that in a Colombia shirt in the coming days, particularly with the match being held in Barranquilla.
Following the most difficult fortnight of his family’s life, it’s a welcome relief that Luis Diaz can now refocus fully once more on his football career for club and country.
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