Roberto Firmino
The Brazil forward will play his final game at Anfield on Saturday, and will leave behind some wonderful memories from his time on Merseyside
There won't be a dry eye in the house on Saturday when Roberto Firmino bids a final farewell to Anfield. In eight years, the Brazilian has firmly established himself as a modern-day Liverpool great, the original 'false nine' and an integral part of the team which scaled incredible heights under Jurgen Klopp.
Having played more than 350 games and scored more than 100 goals, the 31-year-old will depart on a free transfer at the end of this season.
So before he takes the Kop's appreciation for the final time against Aston Villa, GOAL looks at Firmino's best moments in a Liverpool shirt.
That first goal
Firmino's early months at Liverpool were difficult. He was signed during the final weeks of Brendan Rodgers' reign at Anfield, and despite the £29 million ($36m) transfer fee, there was always a sense that the manager either didn't rate him or didn't know how best to use him.
That changed when Klopp arrived in October 2015, and a few weeks later came the first real sign of what Liverpool had on their hands.
They travelled to the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City, fielding Firmino as their No.9. He was terrific, his pressing unnerving City's defence, and his combination play with Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana proving too hot to handle.
Liverpool were 3-0 up inside 32 minutes, Firmino setting up the second for Coutinho before slotting home the third himself, his first Reds goal. It finished 4-1, and fans had their first proper glimpse of what the beaming Brazilian could bring to the party.
That Mo Salah assist
There have been some magnificent assists in Liverpool's long and illustrious history, but has there ever been a more stylish one than the one Firmino provided Mo Salah against Newcastle in September 2019?
Receiving a pass from the Egyptian, around 30 yards out, Firmino produced a moment of sheer impudence and invention, flicking the ball off both feet, past two defenders, and into Salah's path. Salah, of course, did the rest, striding on to finish off a 3-1 Liverpool victory.
Firmino would pull off a similar move the following season away at Leicester, with Salah again the beneficiary, and his penchant for a spectacular assist was on display earlier this season too when he set up Darwin Nunez at Rangers.
That Arsenal hat-trick
There can be no doubt as to Firmino's favourite opposition during his time at Liverpool. In 18 games against Arsenal, the Brazilian netted 11 goals. Only Harry Kane and Wayne Rooney, in fact, have scored more goals against the Gunners in Premier League history.
Firmino's first Liverpool hat-trick, of course, came against Arsenal, in December 2018. The title-chasing Reds had actually fallen behind in that game, but two goals in the space of three minutes from their No.9 turned things around; the first a tap-in after some slapstick defending, the second a solo effort leaving three Gunners players on their backside.
He completed his treble from the penalty spot, Liverpool running out 5-1 winners, and it would not be the last time he would hurt the men from north London.
That Roma masterclass
There is no doubt that the attacking trio of Firmino, Salah and Sadio Mane is one of the best European football has seen in recent times, and its high point arguably came during Liverpool's run to the Champions League final in 2017-18.
All three reached double figures for goals in that European campaign, all three were on the scoresheet as the Reds thrashed Porto in the last 16, and all three netted as Klopp's side defeated Manchester City 5-1 on aggregate in the quarter-finals.
Then came the semi-final against Roma, and one of Anfield's great forgotten nights as, with Firmino to the fore, Liverpool secured a remarkable 5-2 first-leg lead.
The Brazilian set up the first two goals for Salah, the second a truly fantastic assist showcasing all of his skill and awareness, before grabbing two for himself in front of the Kop. In the second leg in Rome, he laid on a goal for Mane as Liverpool completed a crazy 7-6 aggregate success.
That time he upstaged Neymar and Mbappe
Liverpool's first Champions League group game of the 2018-19 season was a bit of a classic, as Paris Saint-Germain came to Anfield with Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, but fell victim to Firmino's brilliance.
The Reds striker had scored the winner the previous weekend against Tottenham at Wembley, but later suffered an eye injury in a clash with Jan Vertonghen, which meant he was unable to start against PSG.
His replacement, Daniel Sturridge, gave Liverpool an early lead, and when James Milner netted a penalty soon after, it looked as if the Reds were on their way to an easy victory.
That one Tim Sherwood would rather forget
The 2020-21 campaign was if we're being honest, a pretty miserable one all round. The coronavirus pandemic meant games were played without fans for most of it, while Liverpool's defence of their Premier League title fell apart quickly as injuries stacked up.
Still, there was the odd highlight, such as the night Jose Mourinho's Tottenham came to Anfield in December 2020, looking to go top of the table.
A crowd of 2000 was allowed in, and saw Liverpool lead through Salah's deflected strike before Son Heung-min levelled for Spurs. Then, in stoppage time, the Reds were awarded a corner.
