Jurgen Klopp says he will "be grateful forever" for Roberto Firmino's contributions and believes the outgoing striker should be viewed as one of the all-time greats at Liverpool.
Firmino is a free agent this summer after a decorated eight-year spell at Anfield came to a conclusion at the end of the Premier League season last month and the forward leaves having won the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and a first-ever Club World Cup for the Reds in December 2019.
Firmino's arrival in the summer of 2015 preceded Klopp's appointment as manager in October of that year but it was under the German's guidance where he started to really flourish as a centre forward and the Brazilian eventually registered 111 goals for Liverpool before his end-of-season exit.
READ MORE: Alexis Mac Allister in, two more to follow - Liverpool's dream midfield with £115m transfers
READ MORE: Jorg Schmadtke told how many players Liverpool need to buy in summer spending spree
No player has ever featured for Klopp across a coaching career that has spanned over 1000 games more than Firmino, who turned out 354 times for the Reds boss and the manager has paid tribute to his trusted attacker in a brand new LFCTV series all about the 31-year-old.
"He is so integral to everything that happened here in my time," Klopp says. "I couldn't imagine for a long time how our game would look without him.
“As a person, as a human, as a boy I will miss him. As a player we all will miss him. We will stay friends forever definitely, I will be grateful forever for everything he did for us, for me and he will go down as one of the Liverpool greats.
"What can you wish more for in a footballer's life than that?"
Mohamed Salah adds: "When I came here I knew he had No.11 (shirt) and I asked him for it. He said: 'Yes of course, I will have 9 and you can have number 11'. So, that was the first thing, and I just felt it click between us before we even started playing together.
"His ability to do everything in a game and sacrifice himself for the team. I know his quality; he's one of the best to play for Liverpool. I think he's been loved the most; everyone likes him, he's really calm and always smiling and when you see someone sacrificing themself for the team, you see that everyone loves him here."
Ex-Reds star Sadio Mane, who left for Bayern Munich 12 months ago, played alongside Firmino for six seasons and the Senegal international credits his former colleague with improving his own game significantly at Anfield.
“I have seen many nice people in this business, but Bobby Firmino is by far and away my favourite one...he's my favourite team-mate," Mane says.
"Bobby changed something about my football...he makes things easier, so you don’t have to do things more complicated. When you get the ball, Bobby is next to you and gives you an option...it helped me, and it helps the team.
"I don't see any chant more beautiful than Bobby's. Sometimes in my house, I'm there listening to it...I love it, it's so special. If you love the man as well, sometimes you just have to sing it. I can sing Bobby's song better than my own!"
Airing from June 14, the first episode, titled The Boy from Maceio, can be streamed on LFCTV GO. Episode two ‘Far from home’ and episode three ‘Best in the World’ will follow on June 19 and June 24.
READ NEXT:
