Liverpool have just completed their latest signing of the summer in the form of Roberto Firmino. The Brazilian attacking midfielder/ forward was signed from Hoffenheim for a fee of £29 million.
Firmino, who is currently playing for Brazil at the Copa America, is a star of the future, and the Merseysiders look to have completed a great deal with his capture. Before we look ahead, here are 10 things about him you need to know –
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1) Firmino was born on the 2nd of October 1991 in the city of Maceio, which is also the birthplace of World Cup winning legend Mario Zagallo, who has three World Cups, two as a player and one as a manager. Incidentally, his date of birth is the same as Mahatma Gandhi, which is not his only connection with India.
2) He started his career as a defensive midfielder, at his hometown club Clube de Regatas Brasil, before moving to Figueirense. As a teenager at Figueirense, he helped his team achieve promotion from Serie B to the Brasileirao Serie A, the top-flight of Brazilian football, in his only full season with the club.
3) His first goal in Europe and for Hoffenheim was a match-winner as it helped them win the game against Eintracht Frankfurt 1-0.
4) He was once dropped from the squad in November 2011 for turning up late for training.
5) Ronaldinho is the player he idolises, but as he himself said so, he likes other stars such as Ronaldo, Romario and Rivaldo as well.
6) The attacking midfielder was voted as Germany’s ‘Breakthrough of the Year’ in 2013-14, for his incredible season with Hoffenheim when he scored 16 goals and had 12 assists in 33 appearances.
7) The Brazilian is a very fit player, as can be clearly seen by the fact that he has played in 33 out of the 34 Bundesliga matches in the last 3 seasons.
8) The transfer fee for Firmino, i.e. £29 million or €41 million is the highest ever in the Bundesliga and makes him the most expensive transfer in Bundesliga history.
9) He has also played a match in India when he came visiting with Hoffenheim, and they toured parts of Mizoram. He was part of the Hoffenheim outfit that defeated the Mizoram All-Stars XI 3-0.
10) Firmino became a fan favourite among Brazil supporters when he won the match for them with this scorcher of a goal against Austria.
[Stats and information via Liverpool official website]
