Now one of the best goalkeepers in the world, Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker made his first-team debut for Internacional and, after two years with AS Roma, has saved the day for Liverpool since the summer of 2018.
As well as his shot-stopping and one-on-one defending, he is skilled with his feet and has created many chances with his accurate feeds from the tail end to the front line.
The goalkeeper is an integral part of the Liverpool defence, but he revealed that the first position he played as a child was midfielder.
“My first position was centre midfielder. I think I was eight years old when I had that experience.”
“I was not that good so I did only one session and the session after I became a goalkeeper!”
“My first hero was and still is my brother (Muriel). I always looked up to him a lot.”
“He’s a goalkeeper as well, a really good one, and he was my role model for everything both as a goalkeeper and for the man that I would like to become.”
“I always liked to be a goalkeeper, playing with friends, and watching my brother training and playing was something that inspired me as well.”
“And when I watched him, I always realised that it was something that I would like to do.”
“I think first I thought I could make it when I played my first game for Internacional first team. I was 19-years-old.”
“That was a special moment for me making my debut and realising that I was going to be a professional player.”
He has played more than 260 games for Anfield and has also been on the pitch for Brazil in 63 games.
If he had continued playing as a midfielder, he might not have become a professional, and if there had been no goalkeepers in his family, he might not have become such a good player.
Fate has also favoured the 31-year-old defender, who has achieved world-class ability through his own efforts, and will continue to protect the Anfield goalmouth and lead the club to many more glories next season and beyond with a new manager in charge.