Liverpool’s £29m signing Roberto Firmino has said he will need time to adapt to the Premier League but believes his level can only improve once he settles into Brendan Rodgers’ team.
The Brazil international has yet to report for pre-season training at Melwood having been given extended leave following his involvement in the Copa América. He and his compatriot Philippe Coutinho are not expected to join their team-mates for another fortnight.
On Hoffenheim’s official website, Firmino thanked his former club for their part in his development into a Brazilian international and the second most expensive signing in Liverpool’s history.
The attacking midfielder insists his progress will continue at Anfield. “I have the opportunity to start an exciting new chapter now. I am looking forward to a new challenge and am excited to find out what the Premier League has to offer,” the 23-year-old said.
“Of course, everything will once again be new to me at the start. I’m going to have to get used to a new style of play but I’ll also get the opportunity to improve my game even further there. Of course, I want to be a regular starter at Liverpool and be successful with my new team.”
Firmino scored 49 goals in 153 games for Hoffenheim after his arrival from Figueirense in January 2011 and won his first Brazilian cap last year.
He added: “I was only 19 when I came to Hoffenheim. Everything was new to me – a strange country, a foreign language. That was not easy at the beginning. Europe was a big adventure to me and, of course, I had my doubts.
“I developed as a player and as a person. By working hard at Hoffenheim, I made it into the Selecao. That is a dream come true to me and I know who I owe gratitude to. A lot of people believed in me during times when things did not go perfectly. I will keep my time at Hoffenheim and the people I met here in my heart forever.”
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