Ben Brereton Diaz interview: Lacking the World Cup, Chile goals and Blackburn goals | Soccer Information

In some methods it has been a welcome and rejuvenating expertise for Ben Brereton Diaz to have a mid-season break. However in others the Blackburn striker is aware of the place he would have reasonably been for the previous few weeks.

Chile’s late collapse in qualifying, dropping 4 of their final 5 video games, noticed them miss out on a visit to the World Cup in Qatar.

“I like watching soccer and I watch as many video games as I can each day,” Brereton Diaz tells Sky Sports activities. “It has been very entertaining up to now, I have been actually having fun with it.

“However after all I might wish to be there. Myself and all of the Chile boys, we’d have liked to have been on the World Cup. It is the best stage of soccer.

“We could not get there this time, however we have started working onerous and hit the bottom operating when qualifying begins in March to verify we do not miss out once more.

“Once I meet up with them that would be the dialog with the gaffer and the boys. We have got a fantastic group so hopefully we will get some good outcomes and be there in 4 years.”

Chile’s loss will little doubt be Blackburn’s achieve. The 23-year-old has already made 25 appearances this season and the remaining can have finished him some good.

His nationwide facet clearly agree as head coach Eduardo Berizzo left him out of their two friendlies final month so he might have a break.

“We had 10 days off so I had a vacation and relaxed,” Brereton Diaz says. “However we have been again in since we had some coaching in Spain with just a few friendlies to get again up to the mark. We’re able to crack on with the second half of the season.”

It was a uncommon worldwide camp missed for a striker that has been one of many exceptional soccer tales of the previous few years. Born in Stoke to an English father and a Chilean mom, his profession trajectory modified fully when he talked about his lineage in a Blackburn matchday programme.

It noticed his profile up to date on the favored PC sport Soccer Supervisor, which attracted the discover of the Chilean FA. And in the course of final yr Ben Brereton grew to become Ben Brereton Diaz, as he added his mom’s surname, and rapidly he was enjoying within the Copa America alongside Alexis Sanchez, Arturo Vidal and Co.

Whether or not it was coaching with world-class expertise or the boldness the call-up introduced, it took his sport to a brand new stage. He scored seven objectives in 40 video games within the Championship in 2020/21 for Blackburn, whereas final season he mustered 22 in 37.

“For myself among the finest issues has been coaching with all of the gamers, watching them play and studying from them,” he says. “There are some excellent footballers in that squad.

“To attain for them after I first went on the market was an unbelievable second for me and my household, right here and in Chile.”

Again at dwelling it has been an excellent season up to now for Blackburn. Earlier than the restart of the marketing campaign – which will get underneath approach as Blackburn host Preston on Saturday, dwell on Sky Sports activities Soccer – they discover themselves third within the desk.

Surprisingly they’re but to attract a sport in 21, with new boss Jon Dahl Tomasson’s method typically ending up in an all-or-nothing end result. One factor that hasn’t modified from final season is that Brereton Diaz has proved important to their trigger once more, with 9 objectives – together with a strike towards Sunderland that gained him the Sky Wager Championship Objective of the Month award for October – and one help contributing to their total tally of 24.

And he has totally loved working underneath a former ahead who was certainly one of Europe’s better of the previous quarter of a decade.

“The supervisor has been good,” says Brereton Diaz. “He needs to play the precise approach and all of the boys have purchased into his philosophy.

“His man-management is nice, he is all the time having chats with everybody and for me he is been nice for the membership. It exhibits in how we play on the pitch.

“Coaching is all the time aggressive. He was a prime striker, too, so he typically exhibits me stuff I can work on. However he hasn’t fairly obtained the boots on himself but!

Brereton Diaz is happy with how issues have gone up to now this marketing campaign, however will concentrate on the way it can all unravel. Final season Blackburn had been as excessive as second in February, however a disastrous run-in noticed them miss out on the play-offs altogether underneath former boss Tony Mowbray.

He hopes issues might be totally different this time round they usually can final the course. A mid-season break could properly assist their comparatively small squad to that extent.

“I’ve actually loved the beginning of the season,” he says. “We’re within the prime six so we have got nothing to complain about, however I all the time need extra. I am proud of the objectives I’ve scored up to now however I positively assume for myself I nonetheless have to work on my hold-up play.

“I have to get extra assists and create extra possibilities. However I am working onerous in coaching and so I can hopefully put all of it into play on a matchday.

“We have had extra clear sheets. Defensively we have been good. For those who get clear sheets you win video games and that is one factor we have actually improved upon this season.

“Once we rating we’re profitable video games. We’re enjoying beautiful soccer from the again and ending it off with good play within the last third.

“We have had this break and somewhat recharge, now we have got to go once more within the second half of the season. All of the work can have been for nothing if we do not stick with it.

“Each Championship group needs to get into the play-offs or get promoted. We have had an excellent begin this season, however like I stated we have got to maintain working onerous and the group needs to get into the play-offs, as a result of everybody needs to play within the Premier League.

“The second half of the season might be large. We all know what we’re working for.”