Anfield legend David Fairclough has compared Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino to Real Madrid icon Alfredo Di Stefano after the Brazilian’s role in the Reds’ 3-1 victory over Newcastle on Saturday.
Firmino started on the bench in the game but came on towards the end of the first half, finishing with a couple of assists to secure all three points for the Reds.
Fairclough was particularly impressed with the way he played the game so positively and struggled to nail him down to a single position because of his importance all across the front three.
Speaking to the Athletic after the victory against Newcastle, Fairclough singled out the 27-year-old for praise after his perfect performance at Anfield.
“He had a big smile on his face,” he said.
“It was the perfect day for him. This is going back a long way, but Firmino actually reminds me of Alfredo Di Stefano, the Real Madrid great of the 1950s and 1960s.”
“It’s hard to put him in a box or describe him as a No 9 or a No 10 because he does so much for the team.”
OPINION
There is no doubting the fact that Firmino came on and won the game for Liverpool on Saturday, and the difference when he entered the field only highlighted how important he is inbetween Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane. Fairclough was right to single out the Brazilian, who consistently looks delighted to be out on the field for Liverpool, and that is giving Jurgen Klopp many benefits as he continues to be involved in goals on a weekly basis. Despite only being on the pitch for 53 minutes, Firmino had two shots on goal as well as completing four key passes according to WhoScored, with his delightful assist for Salah the pick of the bunch. To be compared to Di Stefano will be a great honour for Firmino, with the Spanish international managing to score a remarkable 277 goals in his 391 game career, finishing with a minute per goal average of 127 minutes [Transfermarkt]. South American football writer Tim Vickery once labelled the Argentinian-born forward as the most influential forward of all time on the BBC website, something Firmino will certainly look at for motivation after this comparison.
