Liverpool’s management must be delighted not just with what they’re seeing of Fabio Carvalho on the pitch during his loan spell at Hull City, but also what they’ll be hearing about him away from the field of play.
The 21-year-old was recalled from RB Leipzig over the winter after he struggled for game-time in Germany, but so far his time at the MKM Stadium could hardly be going better, with three goals in his first nine games for the promotion-chasing Tigers (Transfermarkt).
In an interview with Mark Douglas from The i Paper, a light was also shed on the youngster’s commendable behaviour behind the scenes, with it being noted that ‘humility is a theme’.
Prior to disembarking the team bus before his first away match with Hull, Carvalho tidied the inside of the vehicle, while his manager Liam Rosenior has also picked up on how the attacker frequently keeps the dressing room immaculate after training, tidying up some of his teammates’ flip-flops.
Reflecting on those gestures, the 21-year-old modestly said: “It’s what I’ve been brought up with. In my household, if something’s in the wrong place, you don’t wait for someone else to put it away.
“It’s what the manager relays in his team talks – have your mates’ back. That’s every day, in training if things are sorted the right way, and it goes across to games, working for each other.”
Actions such as tidying up the team bus or the dressing room might seem trivial in the context of how a player performs on a matchday, but such behaviours from Carvalho clearly haven’t gone unnoticed at Hull.
As the youngster referenced, even these seemingly minor details contribute towards instilling a mentality of absolute professionalism, which in turn is likelier to manifest itself on the pitch in the white heat of battle, especially amid a fiercely competitive chase for promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs.
New Zealand’s world-beating rugby team were renowned for leaving their dressing room spotless after matches, and that commitment to excellence both on and off the field has clearly rubbed off on the 21-year-old.
Carvalho’s magnificent on-field displays and stellar attitude behind the scenes make for a combination which could strike a chord with whoever replaces Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool manager ahead of next season, when the attacker will be hopeful of getting regular minutes at Anfield.
If he continues in the same vein at Hull right up to the end of his loan spell, he stands every chance of being a valued member of the Reds’ squad in the second half of 2024.