Former Brazilian midfielder Lucas Leiva retired from active football in March 2023, partly due to a heart condition. His old club Gremio was his last club, but he was loyal to his previous clubs and was a favourite with supporters at Liverpool and at Lazio.
The former Brazil U-20 midfielder, who was 20 at the time, joined Liverpool in the summer of 2007. He joined Rafa Benitez’s team, but revealed that he had actually received offers from Russian teams and Atletico Madrid.
“A few months before I got the offer to go to Liverpool, a Russian team actually made an offer for me. And I was aware that Atletico Madrid were very keen on signing me as well.”
“But then Liverpool came in and, to be honest, it was an easy decision. It was very straightforward.”
“The negotiations started in February and then in March or April I went to Liverpool to visit the city and the club.”
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The young defensive midfielder, who landed in England after kicking off for Russia and Spain, made a total of 346 appearances for Anfield, and was on the pitch for ten years, bringing stability to the defence, even being used at centre-back.
The former Gremio midfielder, who still remembers his first day at Liverpool as if it was yesterday, confessed that he was dreaming of meeting Steven Gerrard and other great players, but also had some anxious moments due to the lack of Brazilian players.
“I remember my first day as a Liverpool player like it was yesterday.”
“I had been in Canada playing for Brazil U20s at the World Cup and I flew back to Brazil to get my things. Then I flew to London to meet up with the Liverpool squad because we were going to Hong Kong for our pre-season tour.”
“I was just in a room waiting. I was only 20 years old, couldn’t speak any English – still can’t, by the way! – and then my new teammates started arriving: Steven Gerrard, Peter Crouch, Fernando Torres, Xabi Alonso, Javier Mascherano.”
“I was like, ‘Wow, where am I?!'”
“It was scary because I expected to meet fellow Brazilian Fabio Aurelio, but he was injured and had stayed back in Liverpool.”
“No Brazilians, I couldn’t speak English, 20 years old – it was really hard. It was scary, to be honest.”
“But looking at those players in that moment was the realisation of a dream coming true.”
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