Luis Diaz reveals T-shirt message for father’s kidnappers after scoring for Liverpool

LUTON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 05: (THE SUN, OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Luis Diaz of Liverpool celebrating after scoring the equalising goal during the Premier League match between Luton Town and Liverpool FC at Kenilworth Road on November 05, 2023 in Luton, England. (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Luis Diaz’s father was kidnapped last month and remains missing in his native Colombia

Liverpool’s Luis Diaz revealed a T-shirt showing support for his kidnapped father after heading a late equaliser to grab a 1-1 draw at Luton Town.

Luton looked set for only their second Premier League win of the season when Tahith Chong put them ahead with 10 minutes of regular time to go, but substitute Diaz denied them in the fifth minute of injury time.

Diaz lifted up his Liverpool jersey to show a T-shirt bearing the logan ‘Libertad para Papa’, which translates as ‘Freedom for Dad’.

His parents were abducted eight days ago in his native Colombia, and although his mother, Cilenis Marulanda, was quickly rescued by police his father, Luis Manuel Diaz, remains missing.

Guerrilla group the National Liberation Army has been blamed by the Colombian government for snatching Diaz’s parents near the border with Venezuela on 28 October.

Liverpool players held aloft a Diaz shirt in solidarity with their teammate after scoring in last week’s win at Bournemouth.

The former Porto winger sat out first-team duties early last week but returned to the squad and started on the bench at Luton.

The result saw Liverpool climb to third in the table, ahead of Arsenal on goals scored, and three points behind leaders Manchester City.

In the earlier game on Sunday, Nottingham Forest ended their six-game winless run with a 2-0 victory over high-flying Aston Villa.

Ola Aina and Orel Mangala scored in either half as Forest climbed to 12th in the table.