Roberto Firmino will depart as the smiling hero of Klopp’s Liverpool

T he last day of August 2019 and Liverpool have just beaten Burnley 3-0 at Turf Moor with a display that is as dominant as it is devastating. But all is not well in the visitors’ ranks given Sadio Mané’s angry reaction to being substituted late on after becoming increasingly frustrated with Mohamed Salah’s failure to pass to him. All eyes are consequently on the pair as they head back to the dressing room, yet ultimately it is the other member of Liverpool’s frontline who catches the attention as he walks between them. Looking directly at camera, Roberto Firmino stops, blows out his cheeks, smirks, then smirks again.

It was a wonderful moment and one many Liverpool supporters are no doubt reflecting on as they digest the news that Firmino has decided to leave the club in the summer. Because for them he has not just been a brilliantly influential part of the Jürgen Klopp era but, more than any other player, encapsulated the sheer joy of it, too. The smirks, the smiles, the no-look goals and Kung fu-kick celebrations; “Bobby” delighted Kopites in so many ways, over and over again.

There is, then, a very real sadness within the fanbase regarding Firmino’s impending departure, even if it is understandable given he is out of contract at the end of the season and probably recognises that after eight years on Merseyside and with the club in a state of significant and required renewal, it is the right time to move on. Where the 31-year-old goes next is unclear but what’s sure is that he will travel to his next destination with a bag full of memories to go alongside all those winners’ medals.

A glorious player for a glorious period in Liverpool’s history and, as such, it’s somewhat bewildering to remember just how badly it