‘Least-selfish’: Thiago Alcantara on the most selfless player he has ever seen | OneFootball

Icon: Anfield Watch

Anfield Watch

·14 May 2021

‘Least-selfish’: Thiago Alcantara on the most selfless player he has ever seen

Article image:‘Least-selfish’: Thiago Alcantara on the most selfless player he has ever seen

Liverpool central midfielder Thiago Alcantara has claimed his teammate Roberto Firmino is the ‘least-selfish striker’ he has ever seen in his career.

The Spaniard has said that Firmino is a very important player for Liverpool, following his two goals against Manchester United, and adds that he is always trying to find the best option for his teammates instead of just thinking about himself.


OneFootball Videos


Speaking to Liverpool’s official website, Thiago offered his thoughts on Firmino and his importance. “He’s a very important player for us. I think he’s the least-selfish striker I’ve ever seen in my life because he always tries to reach the best option for his teammates, but also he’s a great goalscorer.”

Article image:‘Least-selfish’: Thiago Alcantara on the most selfless player he has ever seen

ANFIELD WATCH VERDICT

Firmino’s build-up play for Liverpool has always been impressive. He has averaged more than one chance created per game in every single Premier League season for the club, with six or more assists in each campaign, which shows how unselfish he is for Liverpool. A good example came early in Thursday’s win over United as he passed up a good shooting chance to attempt a pass to Diogo Jota, who would have had a tap-in without Eric Bailly’s arm being in the way to block the pass.

The Brazilian, as Thiago explains, is always willing to find the best solution for his teammates instead of being selfish and taking the shot on himself. This allows Liverpool’s wingers to run beyond Firmino and get into goalscoring positions as they know the former Hoffenheim man will be willing to pick the ball up and find them with a pass.

In terms of Thiago’s comment about him being a ‘great goalscorer’, the statistics do not back that up for Firmino. The attacker has underperformed his Expected Goals in each of the last three Premier League seasons and has currently scored just over four goals fewer than his chances have suggested he should have. This shows that he has been a below-average goalscorer/finisher in the Premier League in recent seasons, which does not appear to warrant the tag of a ‘great goalscorer’.

View publisher imprint