NewsLiverpool's Greatest - No.68: Fabinho
Years: 2018-2023
Appearances: 219
Goals: 11
Trophies: Champions League (2019), UEFA Super Cup (2019), Premier League (2019-20), League Cup (2022), FA Cup (2022)
Fabinho was considered the insurance policy of the European-conquering, swashbuckling Liverpool side under Jürgen Klopp.
“He always gave us the freedom to play all the fancy stuff,” Klopp said of the Brazilian. “He was involved in that from time to time as well but loved to be the hoover for the team, loved to do all the dirty work for the team.”
An archetypal modern-day No.6, Fabinho’s arrival at the Reds from AS Monaco was a bolt out of the blue and helped supporters quickly move on from the 2018 Champions League final defeat.
After his settling-in period, the Reds’ ‘lighthouse’ was unleashed.
With Fabinho in the side, Klopp’s men delivered the club its sixth European Cup after an incredible run and a 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the final.
He then made 28 appearances as the Premier League title was won with 99 points, ending Liverpool’s 30-year wait for the league championship.
Although he was known for his prevention skills, Fabinho was more than adept at impacting at the other end of the pitch, too.
There were memorable long-range hits against Manchester City and Crystal Palace in the league-winning season, as well as a nerveless ‘Panenka’ penalty to help win the Carabao Cup in 2022.
The midfielder had played 48 times during a 2021-22 campaign in which the Reds came within a whisker of a quadruple.
He bowed out from Anfield in the summer of 2023 with 219 appearances to his name, 11 goals and five major honours.
“In these five years, I grew as a player, as a man, I made dreams come true,” said Fabinho in his farewell message. “I say this with a heart full of joy: I love this club.”
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