More than a star, Roberto Firmino surprises everyone in London with his surprise appearance

The former number nine departed the Reds last summer as a club legend and he will forever hold a special place in the heart of supporters. The Brazilian's selfless approach to the game meant he became an instrumental figure in Jurgen Klopp's side and he established himself as a fan favourite as he picked up seven winners' medals across eight memorable years at the club.

The 32-year-old has documented his experiences in a Red shirt for a new book, SÍ SEÑOR: My Liverpool years, which was released last November. Firmino, who now plays for Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia, has been back in Merseyside this week and greeted hundreds of fans for an exclusive book signing in Liverpool One today.

Tickets for the event quickly sold out when they went on sale last year and the ECHO was in attendance to speak to some of the thrilled fans lucky enough to bag an opportunity to meet their footballing hero. A fan named Mark said: "I'm super excited, it's the best day of my life. I'll remember this moment forever.

"Firmino means a lot to me, the dedication that he's shown to the club and his loyalty has been great so I can't wait to meet him." Another fan had travelled from Halifax and he explained why Firmino remains such a special figure to Liverpool supporters. He said: "The front three of him with Mo [Salah] and [Sadio] Mane were unbelievable and it's an honour to get to meet him."

Firmino's thanks

When asked what he was going to say to Firmino, he said: "Just thank you, he helped us win the title back after 30 years. If you do that, then you will always be a legend." Ben received tickets to the book signing as a Christmas present from his girlfriend and was "buzzing" to meet the forward. He said Firmino's stunning skill to set up Mohamed Salah in a 3 - 1 win over Newcastle in 2019 was his personal favourite moment as he heaped praise on the iconic player.