Bobby Firmino was a huge favourite amongst Kopites and it was hard for many to accept when he left the club in the summer.
The Brazilian netted 111 goals and registered 79 assists in 362 appearances for the club during his eight-year stay on Merseyside.
He was an integral part of the success Liverpool have achieved under Jurgen Klopp in recent years but the 32-year-old, in his new book titled ‘
“The straw that broke the camel’s back was a match against Wolves, in which I came on as a substitute in the last minute. That was it. Right there, I understood. As we say in Brazil, the penny dropped.
“I knew now.
“I called my agents. Roger Wittmann and Christian Rapp met with me for a face-to-face talk. We left the living room and went to my room: just me, Christian, Roger and Larissa, no distractions. Christian and Roger were perfectly transparent about everything that was happening and the club’s view of my future.
“It wasn’t a war. It was just a difference in understanding about what I could offer to Liverpool.
“I reflected a lot and realized that God’s plan was to take me somewhere else. The signs were all there since that conversation with Pastor Daniel in Maceio. I had been stubborn.
“God didn’t want me to stay in Liverpool, but I was insisting. I didn’t listen. But I couldn’t avoid it any more. It was time to accept. I decided it was time to seek another challenge for myself, another purpose. My time at Liverpool had come to an end.”
As hard as it is to accept, all good things must come to an end.
Firmino is one of the greatest forwards the Premier League has ever seen with his ability to score and create goals but also his selfishness and the work rate he’d put in for the team.
Whenever he wasn’t playing he was a huge miss with Liverpool not feeling as smooth in their attacking transitions.
At the age of 32, and with his deal running out at the end of the season, he accepted it was time to move on.
He’s now plying his trade in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ahli but reports are suggesting that he could be on the move again in January after failing to fully settle in the Middle East.