World Impact, Klopp reveals who is Liverpool's best player, not Salah or Alisson

His signing was announced while the striker was playing in the Copa America in Chile. Eight years ago. It took until Brazil were eliminated for Firmino to become the most expensive signing in Liverpool's history. The Englishmen paid around €40m to German side Hoffenheim, a figure the Anfield outfit exceeded in subsequent seasons to bring in the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Darwin Núñez and Luis Díaz more recently. Firmino's impact, however, has been crucial in one of the golden eras of English football's most successful club.

He scored eleven goals in a difficult season at Anfield, almost a transitional one. Brendan Rodgers was sacked at the start of the season and Jürgen Klopp arrived on the bench from the Bundesliga, as did Firmino. Then began the renewal of a squad that would end up winning everything. Everything. First they had to lose. Like in the League Cup final in 2016 or in the Champions League final two years later.

Then the party started with Firmino as master of ceremonies. "He has been an integral part of everything we have achieved during my time here," Jürgen Klopp explained in a documentary series Liverpool have released on their own TV channel. "I can't imagine what our game would have been like without him." The Brazilian has been the player the German manager has fielded the most times during his career on the bench. He counted on him.

Bobby

The season that followed the defeat in Kiev against Real Madrid ended with the conquest of Europe. At the Metropolitano, against Tottenham. Liverpool bounced back, lifting the European Super Cup and the Club World Cup the following season, before winning their first league title in 30 years. There was cause for rejoicing, though the celebrations were solitary. The Anfield stands were empty due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Then came the FA Cup and League Cup successes of last season, Firmino's penultimate at Liverpool. After eight years, the Brazilian is leaving on a high note. With fans and outsiders alike surrendered to his sporting and human qualities. With a place in the history of the Anfield club as one of the members of a legendary attack: the trident he formed alongside Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah.