Fabinho has made such an impressive impact at Liverpool since completing a transfer from Monaco in 2018 that he now boasts a number of nicknames at Anfield, with the Brazilian revealing what they all mean and who gave them to him.
The languid, but fiercely competitive South American has become a mainstay for the Reds as they have savoured Champions League and Premier League glory under Jurgen Klopp, with an ambitious outfit still in the hunt for a historic quadruple this season.
As a comforting presence in a holding midfield berth, Fabinho will have a leading role to play for Liverpool over the remainder of the 2021-22 campaign as he continues to cement his legacy on Merseyside and a positive standing in the eyes of his manager and team-mates.
What has been said?
Fabinho, who now has three nicknames in the Reds camp, has told UEFA’s official website of the many monikers that he works under: “The first time I heard 'Dyson' was when I heard Jurgen saying it after a match in which I'd defended really well, sweeping up in the middle of the pitch.
“The nickname 'the Lighthouse' was given to me by [Reds assistant coach] Pep Lijnders.
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“The players usually call me 'Flaco'. 'Flaco' means 'Skinny' [in Spanish]. [Virgil van Dijk] started it and now everybody calls me that. Even the coach sometimes calls me that. So, that's the one which is most common here.”
What are Fabinho’s targets?
Fabinho has taken in another 37 appearances across all competitions this term, taking him beyond 150 for Liverpool, and he is hoping to achieve “big things” before more major silverware is handed out.
He has said when asked about his individual goals: “Personally, I want to always stay physically fit and well and have no injuries. That was always a constant in my career until last year, when I had some injuries that unfortunately prevented me from having a good run.
“In terms of statistics, I guess they're not supposed to be the most important thing for a player in my role, but it's good when you're able to help your team with assists and goals, so I'm glad I've been scoring and supporting the team in attack. I look forward to continuing to contribute in that area.
“Generally, that's it: I want to keep up the good work in defence and, of course, I'm hoping that this translates into good collective stats for the team so we can conquer big things.”
What is Fabinho’s game about?
While Fabinho considers end product to be a welcome bonus in his game, with seven goals recorded this season, he is happy to contribute in as many areas as possible to the collective cause.
Explaining his more obvious strengths, the 28-year-old said: “I receive the ball a lot and I'm involved in the creation process. It's good because I always have the ball, and I'm always very involved in transitions between defence and attack.
“I also like the fact that there are plays and movements that I can anticipate to intercept some passes. I like to steal the ball, take the ball from the other team and many times, depending on where you win the ball, you can put a team-mate through into a good attacking position. I think that's what I enjoy doing the most.
“Attacking players always grab the headlines because they score goals and have better overall attacking statistics, so it's normal.
“The younger fans will always pay greater attention to the ones who score goals, since scoring goals is the best thing about football. I focus on how I can help those players improve their statistics: to score more goals and provide more assists.”
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