Fabio Carvalho has explained the spying mission that has allowed him to make an instant impact at Liverpool - as he revealed the depth of his relationship with Harvey Elliott.
Carvalho has made an encouraging start to his Reds career having officially arrived in July after an initial £5million deal had been previously agreed with Fulham.
The teenager shone during pre-season and has impressed in late cameos from the bench in Liverpool's opening three games, and almost snatched a winner against Crystal Palace on Monday with a volley that flew inches wide.
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And after the Reds failed with their first move for Carvalho in January, the player kept a watching brief on his prospective new club to help accelerate his adaptation.
"Even before I knew I would be coming to the club, you always keep an eye on Liverpool because they're the best team in England and one of the best teams in the world," he said. "The second half of the season was crucial and I watched as many games as possible, trying to see how the team plays and how everyone is on the pitch. To keep a close eye on Liverpool was important."
Carvalho has again linked up with fellow 19-year-old Elliott, who he not only played alongside through the ranks at Fulham but also spent his formative years with.
"Yes, it's been sick!" he said of being reunited with his friend. "We played for the same team growing up but we also went to the same school which is something that some people might not know.
"So me and him have been tight for a few years now, since a young age. It's good to be back with him and it's good to be playing football with him as well because that's something I really enjoy. He's a top player."
With Darwin Nunez suspended and doubts over the fitness of Roberto Firmino, Carvalho is now pressing for a first Liverpool start ahead of Monday's blockbusting visit to bitter North West rivals Manchester United.
But the youngster, talking to the official LFC matchday programme, is content to bide his time. "There are going to be a lot of games and it's going to be a bit stop-start with the World Cup, so we'll just see what happens.," he said.
"I know that I need to be ready to play when needed and also to perform at the highest level. Everyone needs to be ready to perform to their best. To achieve what we want to achieve we need to be able to do that, so everyone needs to be prepared and ready to go."
Carvalho has also revealed the short-lived nickname that influenced his choice of song for the traditional karaoke initiation at the pre-season training camp in Austria last month.
"When I first came my nickname from the lads was Bruno Mars which I've now said no to!" he said. "So to stick that that little joke, though, I sang Bruno Mars' The Lazy Song. It was all right!"
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