Roberto Firmino has admitted that he was keeping a close eye on Fabio Carvalho last season, before he even signed for Liverpool.
Speaking to ELEVEN via liverpoolfc.com, the Brazilian spoke about Carvalho. As it turns out, Firmino was watching the 20-year-old whilst he was still a Fulham player.
He’s a great player. I confess that I had watched some of his games before he came to Liverpool, so I was already impressed by the way he played,” said Liverpool’s no.9.
“He’s a star, he’s a great player and now he’s also a very close friend. We are happy to have him here at Liverpool and I know he will help us a lot, with assists, goals and also his character on the pitch.”
Carvalho enjoying himself at Liverpool
As Firmino’s words show, Carvalho has already had a big impact in his short time at Liverpool so far.
Prior to his forced omission from the squad for the midweek trip to face Napoli, the 20-year-old had played in all seven games this season.
All things considered, he probably dodged a bullet by getting injured in the Merseyside Derby last weekend. That way, he wasn’t tarnished by the horrendous performance that followed in Naples.
Such a display can damage the confidence of young players. That’s why it’ll be crucial that Harvey Elliott is managed properly in the fallout from the 4-1 defeat.
Carvalho has no such worries though. Despite Liverpool being poor since his £7.7m arrival in the summer, his confidence should be high.
That’s because although team performances have been bad, he’s still been very good. A first goal for the club was quickly followed by a second, and in dramatic circumstances too.
Those are the kind of moments that make the football world sit up and take notice of a young player. He’ll be hoping for a few more to make his dream of a call-up to the Portugal World Cup squad come true.
Just as Firmino was last season, Liverpool fans will be watching on with interest.
