"Life-changing moment" - Fabinho on changing position from right-back to midfield

In an interview with FourFourTwo magazine, via LiverpoolFC.com, Fabinho has spoken about his position change from right-back to centre-back.

In a recent interview with FourFourTwo, as cited by Liverpoolfc.com, Fabinho has talked about how Leonardo Jardim made him change position whilst he was at Monaco and how it changed his footballing career.

“He was a very important coach in my career. My first season with him at Monaco [2014-15], I still mainly played as a full-back, but then in a few games he started pushing me into midfield," said Fabinho.

“I remember him asking me during pre-season if I’d ever played in that position and I told him I had, so he played me there in a friendly and I was the best player on the pitch.

“Then, before the beginning of the 2016-17 season, Jardim called me for a chat and told me, ‘Listen, I’ve signed Djibril Sidibe to play in your role – from now on, I want you to play as a defensive midfielder.’

“Considering my situation with the national team, plus the smaller pool of top-quality full-backs, I thought it was a negative change.

“It was tough. Everybody knew me as a full-back and I was a regular for the national team there – my agents, and I suppose me to begin with, weren’t happy at all with the situation. I accepted the challenge because I knew I could adapt.

“Looking back, though, that was a life-changing moment. Jardim helped me a lot, and that season we won the Ligue 1 title and reached the Champions League semi-finals. I was in the form of my life and ended up moving to Liverpool as a midfielder.

“It definitely proved to be the right decision.”

Anfield Watch Verdict

From every Liverpool fan on planet earth. Thank you Leonardo Jardim.

If you had not changed Fabinho's position from right-back to central defensive midfield then he wouldn't be one of the best players in the world in that position.

Even though we've seen Fabinho play at full-back and in central defence for Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp and the Anfield faithful definitely prefer to see him bossing the middle of the park week in and week out.