Fabinho sent a two-word message to Liverpool teammate Georginio Wijnaldum in order to cheer him on following him making the Ballon d’Or shortlist.
Wijnaldum is one of seven Reds players on the 30-man shortlist for the 2019 Ballon d’Or and he took to Instagram to post a heartfelt message about how honoured he felt to be nominated.
The Reds midfielder even gave a special mention to the Liverpool players not nominated but who deserved to be on the shortlist just as much as himself if not more.
“Such an honor to even be mentioned among all these amazing players, Congrats to everyone who made the #ballondor shortlist. Much love to my teammates who didn’t make the list but deserved it just as much or even more,” wrote the Reds midfielder, via his personal Instagram account.
Fabinho, who wasn’t nominated for the Ballon d’Or, messaged Wijnaldum, via his verified account, after reading his Instagram update in order to say “Vamos Georginio”, which when translated effectively means ‘Come on Georginio.’
OPINION
Wijnaldum being nominated for the Ballon d’Or was a surprise, not because he isn’t talented but because you’d argue he is a player who doesn’t get all the credit he deserves. After all the 28-year-old midfielder doesn’t do the jobs that steal the headlines for Jurgen Klopp’s team, but instead is a vital cog in the team that you only really appreciate when he’s missing. Wijnaldum has averaged 2.7 tackles per game and o.7 clearances across his nine league outings this season, in order to be a defensive presence, and has averaged 45.2 passes per game, which suggests he often sets the tempo of the game for the team through his passing (Source: WhoScored). The midfielder has also notably averaged 1.1 long balls per game, which shows how often he is the man trying to turn defence into attack quickly and make the most of the club having speedy attacking outlets like Sadio Mane as well as Mohamed Salah to rely on. So given that he is worth his weight in gold for Liverpool, it is really nice to see him nominated and it’s even sweeter to see how humble he is over his nomination.
