Lucas Leiva and Liverpool: A decade well spent

As the news broke that Lucas Leiva has joined Lazio in a reported £5million move, one couldn’t help but feel a bit nostalgic. No more will we see the familiar number 21, running around on the hallowed grounds of Anfield heckling and tackling the opposition. No more will we see the warm smile that the Brazilian offered even in the toughest of days at Anfield.

Lucas was the one constant for the past 10 years when it came to looking at the Liverpool squad. And with his departure now one can officially say that Liverpool has now entered the Jurgen Klopp era.

Over the years, Lucas as a player and person has grown into one of the most beloved players for the Reds faithful. From the day, he arrived as a nervous 20-year-old, he grew in stature as players and managers understood the role of the Brazilian. Andy Hunter recently paid a glowing tribute to him in the Guardian, as he outlined how successive Liverpool managers have come to rely on him to pass their messages to the players.

From helping younger players integrate to being a commanding and calm voice in the dressing room, speaks a lot about the man. His involvement in the Merseyside society gave him another aura of respect. The transformation of the boy to man has been complete for the Brazilian who arrived with a set of wild dreadlocks only to leave as a role model to the young and upcoming players.

Arrival and expectations

The expectations from Lucas Leiva were quite different when he arrives at Anfield

Back in 2007, when the Brazilian arrived at Merseyside, huge things were expected from him. After all, Brazilians are associated with twinkling feet and mischievous tricks. Instead, the Merseyside crowd were greeted with a player who seemed to be lumbering up and down the pitch with two left feet. The fact that the Brazilian was an attacking midfielder created a mountain of expectations which were duly heaped on the 20-year-old.

Under such expectations, the Brazilian failed to hit the ground running in a manner as the supporters would have liked. Having played up the pitch most of his youthful career, Rafa Benitez the then coach of Liverpool, decided to start the Brazilian as a defensive midfielder. Having honed his skills as an attacking midfielder up till then, the Brazilian could have thrown a fit and made his displeasure known (as some players do).

Instead, he buckled down and went about learning his trade in the so-called dirty part of the pitch. There were mistakes, mis-passes, booings and abuses heaped on the Brazilian, as he went about acclimatising to his position. At times, Lucas was just the scapegoat, irrespective of the result and if the result was a negative one, then he used to be the punching bag for the media and fans alike.

In fact, at one point of time, the Brazilian seemed to be the target of every ridicule and ire irrespective of his contribution.

As Sachin Nakrani of the Guardian, pointed out in his article in the year 2013, that Lucas’s turnaround and adaptability had earned him the respect of not just the dressing room but the entire community in and around Liverpool. And this kind of adoration for the Brazilian reached a pedestal this summer, as Lucas completed a decade at Liverpool with a testimonial tribute being organised to recognise the years of service he put in at Liverpool.

Football keeps on moving

the sun rises everyday so must sport move on and this summer, Lucas had to move on in search of regular football.

During the dark days of the Hodgson era, in a team bereft of Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso, Lucas was the shining light. One may say the lack of options forced Lucas into the limelight. But among those disappointing seasons in which Liverpool floundered and stuttered, one of the mainstays was Lucas - who ensured that the Liverpool midfield played to a certain level that was expected of a hallowed club such as Liverpool.

At times, with Gerrard and Torres sidelined, the player seemed to try everything humanly possible to lift the team spirits. His tackling got better, his aggression controlled and his ability to pop up from the deep to provide an attacking threat ensured that the team spirit never suffered. Only injuries curtailed his impact.

And this was recognised by the fans as well when he was awarded the club’s player of the season for the 2010-11 campaign. Time and again Liverpool’s supporters have been termed as the 12th man on the pitch but when Lucas was on song he single-handedly used to destroy the opposition midfield.

The nadir of his performances came in the week of November 2011, where his star on the rise before brutally injured by an Oscar tackle which effectively ended his season. That was one of the times, Lucas lost his cool as he manhandled his younger Brazilian compatriot. Later images from the game showed Lucas wrapping his arm around the younger Brazilian. Such was the big heartedness of the man who believed that “What happens on the pitch stays on the pitch”.

Farewell

A final goodbye

As Lucas leaves for the city of Napoli, club supporters of Liverpool will only wish him luck. There were rumours of Lucas joining up with ex-Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez who is back in the Premier League this time with Newcastle United. And as a fan, I wouldn’t be too surprised if he had turned down the opportunity to feature for another Premier League club, as that would have entailed him playing against his beloved club, Liverpool.

The one positive thing is the Reds may not have seen the back of the Brazilian yet as he looks to complete his coaching badges. His performances as a central defender showed that the Brazilian still has something to offer. But with Klopp being unable to guarantee the Brazilian regular football this season, it was the right foot forward for the Brazilian.

His heartfelt letter of thanks has been reciprocated by the Liverpool community. As fans, it is often sad to see a player who has grown and developed so wonderfully leave. At times, his name in the team squad often used to offer us solace, especially during the turbulent times of Hodgson. Lucas may not have racked up his trophy cabinet while at Liverpool but he sure has racked up enough goodwill at Liverpool to last him a lifetime.

For this, thank you, Lucas Leiva, the all-action Brazilian who never said die.