It was back in the summer of 2016 when Jurgen Klopp was first given a glimpse at the talents of Alisson Becker.
In his first pre-season as Liverpool boss, the German had taken the decision to bring in Loris Karius for a relatively modest sum of around £4m after he had impressed the season previous in the Bundesliga with Mainz.
The veteran Alex Manninger was also recruited that same window to provide cover and experience for Karius and Simon Mignolet as Klopp went about reshaping the goalkeeping department he had inherited at Anfield.
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Despite Karius and Manninger joining Mignolet on the books that summer, it was a 2-1 defeat to Roma in St Louis, Missouri, in early August, that would give Klopp a real look at what the long-term future held for him in terms of goalkeepers.
"We played Roma in a friendly and I told Jurgen that Ali was the goalie that I had been telling him about," long-serving goalkeeping coach John Achterberg tells the ECHO. "He was the goalkeeper that day and played well against us. I kept monitoring him and put reports in the system about him."
It would be nearly two years later before Liverpool would break the mould - and the bank - to land Alisson for a briefly-held world record fee of £65m, but the seed in Klopp's mind had been planted.
When it became clear that a new custodian between the posts was needed after Karius' calamitous errors had cost Liverpool the Champions League against Real Madrid in Kiev, Alisson was part of a shortlist that also included Atletico Madrid's Jan Oblak and Bournemouth shot-stopper Neto, who then turned out for Valencia.
"Obviously there's a lot of people in the club who study stats and so on, so they made a video about him and showed us," Achterberg recalls of those days as the club weighed up making goalkeeping history. "The scouting department needed to look as well and the boss of course had to sign off on it before the owners decided if the money was available to do it. The boss is obviously vital in that. If he doesn't want it, it doesn't happen.
"We needed to try and find the best one out there. It's not that easy because there are many out there who are good goalkeepers but not too many who can make the difference and obviously Ali is one of them who can make that difference as everyone has been able to see."
As Alisson prepares to make his 200th appearance for Klopp on Wednesday night at Ajax, the debate about where he stands in the pantheon of goalkeeping greats at Anfield is already a pertinent and legitimate one.
Having won all there is to win as a Reds player following that eventual switch from Roma, Alisson is one of few who can lay claim to genuinely maintaining those standards this campaign during what has been an alarming one for Liverpool so far.
"We've all probably let him down this season in that he's faced too many shots," Andy Robertson conceded after the 1-0 win against Manchester City earlier this month. "He's had to be making too many saves and I think he'll be a lot happier tonight. I think Ali's the best in the world for sure in what he does."
Breaking a transfer record is sometimes a key indicator as to the mentality of a footballer. For years, whether it is fair or not, some have drowned under the weight of the fees they have no control over and that pressure is only made more acute when you are a No.1 where every minor error is magnified and usually results in the concession of goals.
It takes a certain type of mental strength to thrive in those conditions, particularly at a club where the expectations and demands are so intense as they are at Liverpool.
Almost 20 years before Alisson joined, Liverpool made Sander Westerveld a British record arrival for a goalkeeper at £4m and the Dutchman knows more than most about the pressure the current incumbent has been under since the summer of 2018.
"Liverpool made me the most expensive goalkeeper in the history of football in England," Westerveld tells the ECHO. "I always turned it around and instead of everyone asking me if there was pressure in being the most expensive goalkeeper, I used it as a show of confidence from the club. They wanted to pay so much for it so they felt I was good enough for that money. I felt confidence from that.
"The number one thing Gerard Houllier told me when I arrived in England was 'never read the press'. I used to read the papers and look at the ratings they gave the players when I felt I was playing well. So I'd like and think 'oh I got a 7 today, that's not too bad' but if thought I didn't play well I would just leave the press.
"And it's a lot more different now with social media, so it is tougher [to ignore]. I see comments on post for some players and the interaction with the fans is nice but there is a lot of s*** going on and some troll accounts. If you are reading the papers and listening to the pundits then you start thinking different things.
"In Liverpool, as the most expensive goalkeeper at the time, I wanted to really prove myself and that was the only time I felt pressure. In games I thought I really had to show what I was able to do to the people. That was the only pressure I felt."
For anyone concerned Alisson would be adversely impacted by the attention on him, the Brazil keeper gave an indirect yet revealing insight into his character and ability to handle the mental side of the game when he nonchalantly flicked the ball over an on-rushing Anthony Knockaert in just his second Anfield appearance in a 1-0 win over Brighton.
It was a save later that season, however, that would put Alisson on the road to greatness on the Kop. With the Reds holding on to a slender 1-0 lead against Napoli in the final fixture of a difficult Champions League group, a golden opportunity presented itself for Arkadiusz Milik late on. Improbably, Alisson would make a point-blank save to preserve the Reds' Champions League status in a campaign they eventually ended as European champions.
"The Napoli save wins us the Champions League!" says Achterberg, while Westerveld adds: "That is the save where everyone thinks it's a goal and then he saves it and you go: 'what!?' Alisson makes saves that you think 'ah this has to be a goal' and then he saves it and you think 'how did he make that save!?'"
Despite the steady stream of silverware that has flown towards the Anfield trophy cabinet since Alisson's addition, the winter of 2021 was a particularly difficult period for the South American. As the team endured a huge lull in form, he was also made to deal with the sudden and tragic death of his father in Brazil.
Unable to visit his homeland due to COVID-19 restrictions, Alisson was forced to grieve for his father, Jose, thousands of miles away from his family, all while Liverpool struggled for consistency amid empty stadiums and a crippling injury crisis at centre-back.
"I remember when Ozan Kabak came in and early on there was a communication problem [at Leicester]," says Achterberg, reflecting on that particular period. "Actually Ali was in the right decision for that, he was in the right place to deal with the situation but that didn't work out. Things like that can happen but Ali has been steady and solid."
"I think it was more about being calm [at that time], keep working and being confident. We tried to make sure he had a good feeling, if something didn't go right, he knew we could talk about it and show him, but sometimes we just talked about it and we moved on."
Westerveld says: "Maybe he had some bad games because of his injuries and the death of his father, but he is back to his best now. I think for the next couple of years he will be the best in the world again."
With two Golden Gloves to his name in English football, Alisson was an integral part of a Liverpool side who had the meanest defence in Europe's top five leagues last term alongside Manchester City as they recorded a cup domestic double while posting 92 Premier League points before defeat in the Champions League final in late May.
Westerveld says: "I think for the last couple of years he's been the best keeper in the world. Thibaut Courtois can win the Champions League but Alisson was a better keeper. If you look at Alisson: what do you want from a goalkeeper? This guy has more presence than Manuel Neuer, he is an animal. If he jumps in front of you, you will just run away. It's a bit like Peter Schmeichel back in the day for Manchester United. Alisson is also good with his feet, unbelievable. Ederson has a longer pass but Alisson's is so accurate. Look at the assists for Salah! (against Man City) His reactions are top and he makes saves on the line."
"Last season I thought he had a really good season too to be honest. If we win the Champions League he would have won the trophy. Courtois won the trophy for Keeper of the Year but I really thought that Ali was the most consistent I think in the world," adds Achterberg. "But I don't think he had many bad games last season and he won the Golden Glove in the Premier League, so he has been pretty good. So what can I say really? We just have to enjoy this moment. He is just a special goalie and a special guy."
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