re: tOfficial Liverpool 2017/2018 Thread: “Upgrades Incoming Edition: A Great Season!”

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"When he came to Figueirense, I was coaching the U-17 side and I spent a week calling him Alberto," Maria recalled, laughing. "Not because I wanted to play any trick and see how he would react—I really thought it was his name.

"I was 'Alberto, do this,' 'do that,' and he never complained about it. The fitness coach (Diogo Moura) corrected me one day and I called [Roberto] aside: 'Diogo told me your name is Roberto, not Alberto; is he right?' He nodded his head and said: 'He's right, mister. it's Roberto.' I couldn't believe it."

Figueirense defensive midfielder Bilu was also struck by how shy Firmino was. It was Bilu who had received a DVD from Portella showcasing Firmino's early performances, which helped earn Firmino the move to Figueirense.

A trial at Sao Paulo had not worked out for Firmino, but it didn't take long for him to make an impression on the pitch when given the chance by Figueirense, even if it was his feet that were doing all the talking.

"The coordinator (Joao Abelha) called me in his first week to ask if [Roberto] was mute. He didn't talk to anybody. Didn't even ask for the ball," Bilu recalled.

Still, Firmino always had a smile on his face. "If you told him he would not get paid this month, he would just look at you and laugh; his expression never changed. It was amazing," Damiani recalled. "He's always been a kid of few words."

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