April 29, 2008 8:01 PM

SOURCE:
goal.com

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Rui Costa: We Must Keep Di María

Benfica veteran Rui Costa has spoken of his admiration for team-mate Ángel Di María, saying that the Eagles should keep him in the squad.

The Argentine footballer arrived at Estádio da Luz in the summer with the duty of replacing longtime captain Simão Sabrosa, who had left the club for Atletico Madrid.

Di María is finally starting to show the form that saw him shine at the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup after initially struggling to cope with the Portuguese game.

Rui Costa, who will retire at the end of the season to become the club's sporting director, is delighted with the 20-year-old's talent and believes that he can only get better.

"He is a youngster with amazing and fabulous talent," he said. "He arrived in Europe this year, eager to do everything right. He is very frantic and impulsive.

"I am convinced that with the evolution he is having, he will become one of the best players in Europe. He is definitely one to keep."

Di María joined Benfica from Rosario Central for a deal worth €6 million, and is thought to have top-flight clubs across Europe monitoring his progress.