FeaturePride, sacrifice and the annoying brother - Roberto Firmino tales from his loved ones in Brazil

As part of exclusive interviews for the LFC Original documentary Bobby, Firmino's family and friends back in Brazil speak candidly about the man beyond the beaming smile and no-look finishes.

There are tales of hardship and sacrifice but mostly of immense pride as a shy boy from Maceio went on to become an icon for a football club on the other side of the world.

Here is what they have to say about their son, brother and friend...

Watch | Episode one: The Boy From Maceio

• The first of three episodes of Bobby is available to watch on LFCTV GO now – subscribe and get one month FREE using the code GOFREE23
• Alternatively, watch via YouTube Membership (Anfield Tier) – go here and click ‘Join’ for more information. Episode one of Bobby will also be available to watch on LFCTV from 5.30pm BST on Wednesday June 14.

Leaving home as a teenager

Firmino's pursuit to become a professional footballer would require him to leave home at the age of 16.

In signing for Figueirense, he had to move more than 1,500 miles away from his hometown of Maceio, separated from his close-knit support network.

His mother, Mariana: "It was very painful for me. It was very sad. It was sad because my son had never left Maceio. He had never gone anywhere. We're from Maceio and we were not used to travelling anywhere.

"The first club he went to was Sao Paulo, then he went to Santa Catarina, where he played for Figueirense.

"He suffered a lot. He went through a lot, but he didn't give up. He did not give up. He had enough reason to give up but he didn't.

"I didn't see him for a year and six months. We didn't have money to go see him or for him to come see me for a year-and-a-half. It was very devastating. But it was worth it. It was all worth it.

"I asked him to come back because I missed him so much. I used to say, 'Come back, son.' But I couldn't go get him, so I would ask him to come home.

"But he'd say, 'Mum, I'm not giving up, I'm already here. I'm not giving up.' And he didn't."

How a dentist became his mentor

Dr Marcellus Portella, the dentist turned football agent, is a trusted advisor to Firmino and his family.

Their relationship dates back decades to when the former dental technician first spotted Firmino's burgeoning football abilities and later took them to Clube de Regatas Brasil.

Portella: "One day I was watching him, and I thought, 'That kid is really good.'

"Then I talked to someone at CRB – but I won't say who it was – I said, 'That kid is great!' They even made a joke about me, 'Go back to your office, Mr Dentist. You don't know who's good and who isn't.'

"I said again, 'Keep an eye on that kid. Just watch him. He's really good. I'm watching him play.' They said, 'Doctor, go take care of your patients.'

"I said, 'I'm a smart person. From now on, I'm going to go crazy and learn how to be a football agent.' That's when I started."

Making quick impressions

An unsuccessful trial at Sao Paulo did nothing to deter the motivated Firmino, who would then immediately impress at CRB and later Figueirense.

Guilherme Farias, first coach at CRB: "I was in the team camp when his mum got here and asked if he could try out. I took him out to that pitch and in three moves that he showed me, I said, 'Kid, get your documents ready.'

Portella: "When he got to Figueirense, like I said, there was a radical change. As I said, he always belonged up front. He thinks ahead. He's very smart.

"And in his first training session, he scored two bicycle-kick goals. It wasn't an attempted bicycle kick that missed, he sent the ball to the back of the net.

"If I'm not mistaken, the coach was Hemerson Maria. He went crazy over him. He called the academy president and said, 'He has to stay here, he has to. We have to keep him here and prepare his paperwork.'"

The annoying brother

Firmino was known to be extremely shy in the early stages of his career.

But when in more comfortable surroundings, he could truly bring out his exuberant side – much to the annoyance of his sister, Marcella, on the odd occasion.

Marcella: "I remember us arguing a lot over the TV remote. There are so many memories that I will never forget because he always loved football and I always loved watching cartoons.

"I remember that he used to let his nails grow – and I'm not sure if this was the reason why – but he would pinch me a lot.

"He was very sly, but he was also very nice and took good care of me, so that's kind of the stuff I remember. Him giving me a lot of love, hugs and kisses, but also arguing a lot of the time.

"It's part of having a brother, isn't it?"

Breaking things with a football

Firmino would also get on the wrong side of some of his neighbours, thanks to his love of football.

Mariana: "He gave us so much trouble. I had to pay for a bird cage because he'd kick his ball on the street and the ball would fly into people's houses, it would hit people's windows... He gave me a lot of trouble. People would knock on my door to complain about him.

"That was the only kind of trouble he used to give me, though. People would come and say, 'Your son broke my window. Your son broke my bird cage, it fell and the bird flew away.' I had to pay for that stuff.

"People would get his ball, cut it in half, then throw it at my door, because he just wouldn't stop. He wouldn't stop."

Providing for his family

Football opened up the world to Firmino and, by extension, his family.

He would first head to Germany and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, spending four-and-a-half seasons there before joining Liverpool in 2015.

Mariana: "It was hard for him in Germany too, you know? It was cold and he didn't know anyone. But we went there straight away too. And that was that. We got used to it. We spent three months in Germany, we spent the first three months with him.

"Since then we've grown used to it. When we travel, it's the best thing. Now we can travel the whole world. Who would've guessed that we would travel the whole world?

"My son was born in a poor area, in a poor family, and now he gives us all this."

A call-up for Brazil

One of Firmino's greatest achievements is getting to represent his country and play in the Seleção's famous yellow jersey.

His first call-up came in late 2014 as he made his debut as a substitute in a friendly away at Turkey.

His father, Jose Roberto: "All I know is that I jumped and shouted more than I ever did. I couldn't believe that my son was going to play for the Brazil team.

"It was his biggest dream, just like every other player's. It was no different for him. He was crazy. We were so happy."

Taking Liverpool into their hearts

Mariana: "There was a time in Liverpool when I was walking as usual, and I'll never forget this either, there was a kid wearing Firmino's shirt. We were in Liverpool, I looked at him and thought, 'My God, is that Firmino's shirt?' It made me so happy.

"I said, 'Marcella, look! That boy is wearing Firmino's shirt. Look!' I went over to him and hugged him and he didn't understand why. But I hugged and kissed him anyway.

"It got me very emotional because I never saw a kid wearing his shirt like that so far from home."

The Kop x Maceio

The Kop's catchy chant to honour their Brazilian hero shares a resemblance to one also sung in his place of birth.

Marcella: "What's interesting is that we also have a song for him here in Maceio, and it also says to pass him the ball and he'll score.

"I thought it was so cool. It's like they translated the song, you know? It was really nice. We were really surprised."

Jose Roberto: "I love it so much. It's so beautiful. I am so grateful to the Liverpool fans.

"I don't know how I'm going to get used to a different team now. But I'm going to have to, won't I? He says that Jesus is already writing the new chapter of his life. It's true. My dream is for him to play for another great team, a great team like Liverpool."

• The first of three episodes of Bobby is available to watch on LFCTV GO now – subscribe and get one month FREE using the code GOFREE23

• Alternatively, watch via YouTube Membership (Anfield Tier) – go here and click ‘Join’ for more information. Episode one of Bobby will also be available to watch on LFCTV from 5.30pm BST on Wednesday June 14.