Firmino: On hand to wrap up victory with Liverpool’s fourth.PHOTO/Team Talk
LIVERPOOL, United Kingdom, Dec 23 – It is safe to say that Roberto Firmino is loving life at Liverpool as he has expressed his desire to keep playing for the Reds for “many years in the future.”
Firmino joined Liverpool from Bundesliga outfit Hoffenheim in the summer of 2015 and immediately had an impact in his first season at Anfield as he scored 11 goals and notched up 11 assists in 49 appearances in all competitions.
The Brazilian had continued to impress in the ongoing season as well as he has found the back of the net six times to go with his six assists.
However, Firmino admitted that it took time for him to adapt to life in Liverpool when he first joined the club, but made it clear that he enjoyed the challenge.
“I think I have had to change the way I play. I was adapted to European football after playing in Germany for three years but English football is very different to the Bundesliga,” he told Liverpool’s official magazine.
“You really notice that the Premier League is much, much faster — the pace is very high and you do need to adjust, but this is a type of football that I enjoy.
“Being really honest, I love it here and plan to stay for many years in the future as the Premier League is really competitive and tests you all the time.”
Firmino is always a threat for opposing sides when he steps out onto the pitch, but he revealed that he has been able to take his game to the level it is at by playing in a number of different positions in his early years.
“When I was younger I played as a right-back. I also played as a central defender but I realised that I could dominate the ball quite calmly so I started playing further forward in front of the back four,” he said.
“After a while I thought that I was quite offensive so when I was 17 or 18, I started playing as a more forward-thinking midfielder. That’s how I eventually ended up playing in the areas like I am today.
“If it depended on me, I would play in every corner of the ground because that’s the type of player I am. But obviously it alters depending on the needs of the team.
“At the moment, I am playing up front but I can play anywhere the manager asks me to. My preference is to be inside the area, near where the goals are scored — that’s my preference. But my main aim is to be helpful to the team in achieving what we need to achieve.”
