Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has hailed Roberto Firmino's extraordinary Anfield career - but accepts it is the right time for the Brazilian to move onto pastures new.
On Friday the ECHO reported that Firmino would be leaving the club once his contract expires at the end of the season, with the Brazilian keen to seek a new challenge after nearly a decade of service on Merseyside.
The 30-year-old, who was signed in the latter stages of Brendan Rodgers' reign, has been an instrumental figure under Jurgen Klopp, and alongside Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah established one of the most devastating forward lines the Premier League has ever seen.
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On Sunday, Firmino notched his first Premier League goal since November as he was on hand to slot past David de Gea in the final moments of the Reds' resounding 7-0 victory over Manchester United at Anfield.
Speaking ahead of the Reds' thrashing of United, Carragher paid homage to Firmino and the instrumental role he's played under manager Jurgen Klopp, where he has won all of the major trophies available during his eight-year stay.
"He’s been an absolute revelation at this football club, a huge part of what has gone on here with Jurgen Klopp," said Carragher. "What you remember is that he wasn’t a Jurgen Klopp signing, he was a Brendan Rodgers signing, came in and if we’re being totally honest nobody had a clue where he was going to play.
"He wasn’t a wide player, didn’t have the pace, or maybe the mobility to play in midfield. Liverpool played 4-3-3 so there was no number 10. I would say probably in Premier League terms he didn’t invent that position of the false nine - we obviously know Messi and Pep Guardiola used it for a player who wasn’t an out-and-out striker - but when you think what Jurgen Klopp turned it into, he’s basically a number nine dropping deep, and that whole system was built around him with Mane coming in and Salah, which complimented him running in behind.
"That front three will go down as one of the Premier League’s best front threes which we’ve seen in that time, and he was a huge part of it. I do think it’s the best situation for all parties really."
Speaking beforehand, Carragher said he holds no grudges against Firmino for deciding to leave Anfield this summer and in fact admitted he "admires" the forward for still holding the hunger to play at the top, rather than sit on the bench at Anfield.
"I think for the club in terms of numbers in that position, they’re healthily stacked when you look at the players when they come back fit," added Carragher. "There are maybe five players actually ahead of him for those three positions at the start of next season. As you’ve said, it’s his decision.
"We always talk about clubs letting players go on a free and we say how can you let this happen? If a player wants to go, he can do. He can see his contract out. I actually admire him in thinking over the last three or four years of my career I want to play week-in, week-out, and that’s what he deserves to be."
The Brazilian's appearance against Manchester United was his first since news of his departure became public earlier in the week and he was given a stirring applause from all corners of the ground when he replaced Cody Gakpo as Liverpool found themselves 5-0 goals ahead thanks to a brace from the former PSV Eindhoven captain and Nunez, before Mohamed Salah added a fifth.
Rather aptly in line with Carragher's pre-match comments, Firmino wasted no time in adding a sprinkle of his samba magic to the show as he claimed an assist for Salah's record-breaking 129th Premier League strike, before tallying a goal of his own as he slotted at in front of the Kop to secure the Reds' biggest-ever win over Manchester United.
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