As promised: there was not a dry eye to be found at Anfield – and certainly not from the main man himself – as Bobby Firmino bade a tearful farewell to his adoring fans.
Capturing the emotional scenes after a disappointing 1-1 draw with Aston Villa, Ian Doyle (on Twitter) noticed the Brazilian refusing to leave the pitch and making sure every supporter got a memento to take home with them after his final performance at L4.
Roberto Firmino is simply refusing to go home until he has had a photo with or signed an autograph for everybody still inside Anfield pic.twitter.com/HjIYOKVGQB
— Ian Doyle (@IanDoyleSport) May 20, 2023
The 31-year-old made sure it was an outing the hosts would cherish, with an equalising goal registered to ensure an almost fairytale finish to his time in Merseyside.
READ MORE: Liverpool complete Alexis Mac Allister agreement for less than £70m – TyC Sports
It’s testament to Firmino’s unselfish spirit, both off and on the pitch, that he made sure fans were given plenty of opportunity to say their goodbyes.
With emotion bubbling in the air, even spilling over here across the UK as our writers (stretching as far down south as Worthing and across to the Republic of Ireland) tackle the exits of four Liverpool stars, it can be difficult to remain totally objective.
Yet, there’s not a doubt in our minds that our No.9 is one of the most special footballers to have ever graced the Anfield turf.
Initially dismissed by Brendan Rodgers only to become the key cog in Jurgen Klopp’s gegenpressing machine, we’ve been dazzled, we’ve been overwhelmed but, most importantly – we’ve been blessed to witness a player of Firmino’s magnitude in the famous red shirt.
Thank you doesn’t even begin to cut it.
`
The guy is an absolute legend.
His amazing cheesy grin gets me every time.
I’ll be you tubing his kung fu kicks forever.
Love you Bobby.
Huge thanks from all us Reds.