Now into his eighth season at Liverpool, Roberto Firmino has taken on something of a leadership role within Jurgen Klopp's squad almost by stealth.
The South American and Portuguese influx in recent years has seemingly cast Firmino as something of a mentor to several of the new recruits. The capture of Luis Diaz at the start of the calendar year from Porto was followed up over the summer months by the arrivals of both Darwin Nunez and Fabio Carvalho.
A sum of over £140m could yet be the total for all three combined as Liverpool look to take the long-term approach to reshaping their attack. Given his longevity at the club - Firmino is one of just four players to have preceded Klopp at Anfield - the Brazil forward has taken on more responsibility in an effort to help his new team-mates settle.
Liverpool are known to make special provisions to help their new players adjust more comfortably following their moves. Particularly for players arriving from teams with smaller profiles, the step-up to Anfield can be overwhelming given the sheer volume of attention that comes with being on the playing staff of one of the biggest football clubs on the planet, so certain subtle allowances are made to help the transition.
In 2020 when Takumi Minamino traded Red Bull Salzburg for Liverpool, his No19 hook in the changing room was slotted into the middle of Naby Keita's No8 and Sadio Mane's No10 in an effort to help the Japan international. Both players had turned out for the Austrian side earlier in their careers and the feeling was they could both help Minamino's early phase of adjustment.
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For Carvalho, the move to Liverpool has been helped considerably by the presence of Harvey Elliott given their connection from the junior ranks at Fulham, but the experienced Firmino, who turns 31 on October 2, has also taken the versatile teenager under his wing.
"He's a great player. I'd seen him a few games before he came here," the Brazil international says of his new team-mate. "I was really impressed by the way he played, he's a craque (Portuguese for great player), a brilliant player.
"Fabio is now a close friend and we're really happy that he's here at Liverpool. He will really contribute with assists, goals and his character on the pitch, all benefiting Liverpool a great deal.
"When he scored against Newcastle it was great, we really congratulated Fabio on his last-minute winning goal. We celebrated a lot, the dressing room was a really joyful place."
Firmino's outward flamboyance is often betrayed by a shy, media-averse character who may not necessarily appear to be the ideal character to lead within the confines of a Premier League squad. But following the signings of Diaz and Nunez, the former Hoffenheim man has stepped up to help both get their feet under the table at Anfield.
Neither Nunez or Diaz arrived in England with a firm grasp of the language but Klopp was understood to have been unconcerned due to the various Portuguese speakers already embedded within the ranks at the AXA Centre.
Pep Lijnders and Vitor Matos are known to communicate with Diaz and Nunez in the Portuguese they picked up during their respective times with Porto and Benfica but Firmino is one of a handful on the playing staff who have reached out the smooth the process for both.
With over seven years of experience as life of a Liverpool, particularly that as a big-money signing in attack, Firmino's advice is likely to be priceless for Diaz and in particular Nunez as they continue to get to grips with life on Merseyside.
"We have the same thought processes on and off the pitch," he told Desporto Ao Minuto last week. "We have a good understanding and it's not that we don't understand English but we give them as much support as we can. Particularly the new players who don't speak as much English, we help them with communication on the pitch. But helping each other, everyone wins.
"I speak English, it's not perfect, but it's nice to speak our own language. We're delighted to have them here and we've given them a heartfelt welcome. We know they're here to boost the team and will respond well to our warm welcome.
"We are also really happy that Diogo Jota is back to full fitness now, 100% injury free. He'll help us a lot like he did last season where he showed his strength, attacking power and quality. He'll certainly help us this season and we've welcomed him back into the team with open arms."
With three Premier League goals to his name this season taking him past 100 mark at Anfield, Firmino's importance to the side on the pitch is enduring, but it is away from the field where his influence could be just as valuable going forward.
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