James Milner has admitted that he’s still not sure whether Liverpool teammate Roberto Firmino understands him.
Milner and Firmino will leave the Reds this summer, having spent eight years at the club together. But speaking to LFCTV after saying goodbye to the Anfield crowd yesterday, Milner admitted that Bobby has remained something of an enigma to him.
“Such a calm guy, always smiling, I’m still trying to work out after this long if he’s just smiling and nodding because doesn’t understand me or what!” laughed the 37-year-old. “Sometimes I have to try Spanish, sometimes I try English, but the language he does talk is football, obviously. What a player, wow!”
“[He’s] got everything, touch, dropping off, can change games on his own, pressing, selflessness, passing, ridiculous celebrations, look away finishes, you name it he’s got it. Like you say, great guy but the stuff he does for the team, it’s been amazing to play with him.
“Not as prolific as Mo [Salah], but when you see him play and how much he does for the team with and without it, the positions he takes up, gets us playing, receiving it in tight areas, it is unbelievable.”
Milner and Firmino make their exit
Whether Firmino understands Milner or not, the two players have marked an incredible era for Liverpool between them.
When Bobby was brought in, he was one of three Brazilians at the club. The faces may have changed, but he’ll leave two behind when he departs this summer.
On top of that, the 31-year-old has helped to usher in a decidedly Latin feel to the Liverpool dressing room.
Since Bobby joined in 2015, the likes of Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Alisson Becker, Fabinho and Diogo Jota have been brought in. With Alexis Mac Allister seemingly on the way, the Reds have a strong Spanish and Portuguese influence.
Meanwhile, Milner was always part of the solid, English core of leadership that is very welcome at an English club.
You need players at the club who understand just what Liverpool means as an institution in this country. Although arrivals from overseas will always be aware of this in a general sense, it’s good to have those at the club who’ve lived it throughout their lives.
In Milner’s case, he may be a Yorkshireman, but he was always acutely aware of what it means to represent Liverpool. You got the felling that he passed this on to his teammates of different nationalities whenever he could.
In that respect, Bobby may not have been able to understand his words, but the feeling very much got through. For that, and other reasons too, we’ll miss them both terribly.
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