Roberto Firmino Once Missed Out On £45,000 After Refusing To Steal Sadio Mane's Goal

It's been revealed that Roberto Firmino missed out on an incredible £45,000 after letting Liverpool teammate Sadio Mane score against Stoke City in 2017.

According to a report from that November by Football Leaks: The Dirty Business of Football, the Brazilian earned a basic wage of £68,085 at the time but was also offered bonuses based on how many goals he scored.

These are rumoured to be £25,000 for each of his first five goals, £45,000 for reaching ten and £65,000 from 11 onwards.

And on this particular afternoon at the bet365 Stadium, Firmino was presented with the perfect opportunity to pocket that second bonus.

17 minutes in, Mane was played through on goal, dinking the ball over Potters goalkeeper Lee Grant. However, the latter managed to get a fingertip to the Senegalese international's effort, meaning the ball was slowed down as it made its way towards the net.

Firmino was in an excellent position to tap it home but chose not to, allowing it to trickle over the line without any of his own involvement.

'Firmino could've easily nabbed Mane's goal," BBC Sport writer Raj Chohan tweeted at the time. "Sums him up: selfless player."

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Chohan's point is spot on.

Firmino has gained a fantastic reputation for his hard-working, creative role in Jurgen Klopp's side.

During his seven years at Anfield, the 30-year-old has made 327 appearances, netting 98 times and recording 74 assists.

He's won the Champions League, Premier League, Carabao Cup and FA Cup during his time on Merseyside.

The last 18 months or so have seen Firmino slide down the pecking order following the arrivals of Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz.

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Klopp still backs Firmino however and in October, he explained why he's still so important to the way the Reds play.

"He is a connector; the best offensive defender I ever saw in my life. A very important player for us," Klopp declared.

"He’s a ball-chaser, incredibly smart tactically and able to play in the tiniest spaces; to make good decisions in really quick time.

"And on top of that he can score goals, which is why we are so happy when he rewards himself from time to time, like the hat-trick he got at Watford."

Topics: Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, Liverpool

James Aldred