Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson has revealed that Philippe Coutinho played an important role in convincing him to make the move to Anfield.

The Brazilian shot-stopper played alongside the ex-Reds midfielder at the World Cup, and he asked him about life on Merseyside before the tournament began:

“I actually spoke to Coutinho before the World Cup as I knew there was interest from Liverpool. We talked about the way the club is set up, the structure and the staff. We also talked about the belief and the sort of family atmosphere at the club. It’s not just a football club, we are one big family.”

Alisson faced the full power of Anfield when playing for Roma last season in the Champions League semi-final as the Serie A club were overrun by Jurgen Klopp’s side in a 5-2 defeat.

The keeper said that game also came into his thinking when deciding whether he should move to the Premier League club in the summer:

“The atmosphere I experienced here contributed to my decision to sign. The fans were 100% behind the team, even during periods when Roma were on top. The fans were driving the team on. There was also the way the Liverpool team played. It’s not dependent upon one player, it’s a real group effort.”

Loris Karius’s calamitous display in the final against Real Madrid, however, pushed Liverpool into shelling out a sizeable sum in order to strengthen the goalkeeping position.

The Reds paid £67m for Alisson for what was a world record for a goalkeeper. However, the fee was quickly eclipsed when Chelsea paid £72m for Athletic Bilbao’s Kepa Arrizabalaga just four weeks later.