Joelinton has revealed that Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino sent him a text message to wish him “good luck” after he moved to Newcastle United from Hoffenheim in the summer transfer window.
Firmino, a fellow Brazilian, also moved to the Premier League from Hoffenheim when Liverpool signed him in 2015.
And it seems that the Liverpool star was quick to welcome Joelinton to England once he made his switch to St James’ Park in the summer for a club-record fee of £40million.
“When I came to England, Firmino texted me wishing me good luck,” Joelinton told Brazilian news outlet Globo Esporte.
“He said if I needed anything, I just had to talk to him.
“When I score or play well, he congratulates me. Sometimes I comment on a picture of him on Instagram.
“He is a great player, has a wonderful time and no wonder he’s been in the national team for a few years.”
OPINION
It is good that Joelinton has adapted so well to playing in England and it seems as though Firmino has helped his Brazilian compatriot out by welcoming him. Joelinton will no doubt look up to Firmino as someone who has moved from Hoffenheim and taken just four years to win the Champions League with Liverpool. While it’s unlikely that Newcastle will be achieving that in the next 40 years, let alone the next four, Firmino is someone for Joelinton to aspire to and try to break into the Brazil national team to play alongside him one day. So far, Joelinton has done a good job at Newcastle. He may have missed a sitter against Norwich but in matches against Arsenal and Tottenham, who he scored his first Premier League goal against, he impressed a lot with Graeme Souness even saying that the Brazilian forward made a good first impression against Arsenal.
