Under those trying circumstances, you can only applaud the blood-and-sweat manner in which Meireles has started his career at Anfield: sleeves rolled up, no moaning, no nonsense, no gloves, fighting for the cause with passion. He has been Roy Hodgson’s best signing, by far – and that’s despite being played out of position for most of his time at the club. No wonder that the vast majority of Liverpool fans have really warmed to him.

Como é sempre agradável ver jogadores que recentemente usaram as nossas cores a fazerem boa figura na terra da estrangeirada, fica aqui uma boa análise ao início da carreira do nosso centro-campista-ex-mega-tatuado, a ler no sempre pungente Who Ate All The Pies.