Federico Chiesa insists he wants to stay with Liverpool after an emotional first Premier League goal for the club in the dramatic win over Bournemouth.
The Reds beat the Cherries 4-2 in a thrilling contest at Anfield, which saw the home team take a two-goal lead through Hugo Ekitike and Cody Gakpo only to be pegged back by an Antoine Semenyo brace.
90 minutes approached with the scores level but that is when the ball fell to substitute Chiesa in the penalty box and he expertly volleyed home to put the Reds back in front.
Mohamed Salah added a fourth in injury time and what could have been a harmful night to their Premier League title defence, turned out to be a successful one.
Chiesa has been linked with a move away from Anfield this summer after a very underwhelming first season with the club last time round, which saw him make just six Premier League appearances.
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However, he sounds like he has no interest in an exit and wants to stay and contribute as much as he possibly can.
‘I’m very happy at Liverpool!’ Chiesa said. ‘I will speak to the club but I want to stay here and fight to win many trophies.’
It was not pure delight for Chiesa as there was sadness for everyone at Anfield on Friday as the club paid tribute again to the departed Diogo Jota.
‘[The goal] was a great moment for me but my thoughts go to Diogo,’ said the Italian to the BBC. ‘I think for what we have seen it was his day. The feeling that the fans gave me, chanting his song all the way through the match.
‘It was very emotional, very emotional for me. I have to say that after the goal my thoughts went to his family, his brother Andre. That’s the only thing I could say.
‘At the end of the day we have to focus on the football. We wanted to win today. It was a difficult match, we went 2-0 up and then they came back, but we showed why we are champions. Of course Diogo would have helped us a lot but unfortunately he was somewhere else and he helped us in another way.’
The 27-year-old did score two goals last season, one in the FA Cup against Accrington Stanley and another in the Carabao Cup final defeat to Newcastle.
He is delighted to finally get on the score sheet in the Premier League, especially in such crucial fashion.
‘Unfortunately one of the goals didn’t count because it was at Wembley and we lost, but today it was the 3-2 goal,’ he said. ‘I helped my team to get an edge in a very difficult game and then at the end we scored for 4-2. As I am concerned all the Premier League games are tough until the end. You never know. We have to continue like this.
‘It took me one year to score in the Premier League but as we say in Italian: Better late than never.’
Slot was thrilled for the former Juventus man, saying: ‘Fantastic. He came in in the end because we needed a goal. For him then to score in such a moment is special. It is even more special because the fans have supported him. It is nice that he gives them something in return with a great goal.
‘The referee today kept the game going, it was a very high and intense game. Both teams were at it, trying to attack, trying to go through transition and not timewasting.’
The Reds can now put their feet up after a stressful opening to the season as they do not return to action until Monday August 25 when they travel to take on Newcastle.
That is followed by a home game against Arsenal six days later on what is a tough start to the campaign for the champions.