He was born in Stoke and he made it big at Blackburn, but on Sunday Chile international Ben Brereton Diaz is hoping to pass another landmark in his unique football journey and line up for Villarreal against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The 24-year-old former England under-19 international has been patient for chances at the Yellow Submarine after moving their last summer on a four-year deal.

The club have sacked two managers already this season but under new boss Marcelino he so nearly got a dramatic late winner against Sevilla two weeks ago.

‘When I was younger I used to watch Wayne Rooney playing for Manchester United,’ he says of of his early influences. ‘The goals and the aggression – what talent he had.’

Ben Brereton Diaz had had to bide his time and patient since joining Villarreal in the summer

Diaz celebrated scoring against Sevilla, what looked to be the winner, before VAR chalked it off

There was a spark of the peak-Rooney in that ruled-out goal against Sevilla, it was also a taste of the attacking prowess that saw him score 36 Championship goals in two seasons at Blackburn and earn a shock call-up to Chile.

‘Up until the age of 14 or 15 I was at Manchester United’s accademy,’ he says. ‘When I got released I went to Stoke for a little bit and then Nottingham Forest and Blackburn. 

‘At Blackburn, I hit some good form and started scoring some goals and having good games and suddenly I got a phone call saying that the Chilean FA wanted to take me to the Copa America.

‘My mum is from Chile, she and her family came over to Stoke because of the Potteries, because they’d done a little bit of that stuff (ceramics) in Chile. They came over to Stoke because it’s famous for pottery! So saying yes to Chile was a no-brainer as soon as I found out I wanted to do it straight away.’

He debuted in the Copa America against Lionel Messi and Argentina coming on with 10 minutes left. 

‘It was a great moment for me and my family, my Chilean family. They were really proud. It was nice to put a smile on their faces, but it was a crazy moment.’

So the player who scored five goals for England under-19s now has seven for Chile and has formed a good partnership with former Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez.

‘He is an amazing player,’ he says. ‘And when I first met him he was very nice to me, he welcomed me. He speaks good English, having been in England for many years. We’ve got a good connection. It’s nice to learn off such a good player.’

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Diaz’s career continues on an upward trajectory – but he is still looking for take-off in Spain

The former England Under-19 international has studied Wayne Rooney (left) to boost his game

He has quality all around him at Villarreal too. Despite their bumpy start, Villarreal – who are in Europa League action on Thursday night at Rennes – have scored more goals than any team outside the top six with Spain centre-forward Gerard Moreno leading the line. 

He represented England at youth level but now plays for Chile at senior level

‘It’s so good watching him in training, his left foot is amazing,’ Brereton says.

‘He scores goals and, his build-up play is great too. His technical ability is also good to get other people involved in the game. He’s a great player.’

The strength of Villarreal’s forward options mean it’s a challenge for Brereton to get a sustained run in the side but he’s enjoying life on Spain’s east coast and not regretting the move.

‘It’s an amazing club,’ he says. ‘It’s a step up for myself, from playing in the Championship. I just need to keep working hard. I’ve played some games, played a couple in the Europa League and a few in the league. It’s a great league, very competitive and I’m excited to keep learning.’

And life off the pitch is good too. ‘Obviously, the weather’s a lot different from where I’m from in Stoke on Trent! So, it’s a lot more outside in the garden, with my girlfriend, I’ve also got a son who’s nine months old. I spend some time with him after training and stuff like that.’

His close family, his Stoke family and his Chilean family will all be watching on Sunday hoping he gets the chance to show the form that has catapulted him on to the international stage at the home of Real Madrid.

The 24-year-old has left Blackburn on a free transfer after narrowly missing out on the play-offs

Ben Brereton Diaz talks football, Country music, David Beckham and the Vikings series among other things on the latest episode of LALIGA Talks on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts from Friday 15th December.