Fabio Carvalho came off the bench to make his Brentford debut on Sunday, six days after joining from Liverpool, and was given a hero’s welcome by their fans.
Carvalho shone for Liverpool in pre-season but has now left on a permanent transfer, joining Brentford in a deal worth up to £27.5 million.
It comes just two years after the 21-year-old’s move from Fulham, and after a mixed campaign on loan with RB Leipzig and Hull last time out.
Joining Thomas Frank’s side gives Carvalho an opportunity to establish himself as a key player in the Premier League, and Sunday saw him debut in their 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace to kick off the campaign.
Named on the substitutes’ bench at the Gtech Community Stadium, the Portuguese replaced match-winner Yoane Wissa with six minutes left to play.
Involved on and off the ball as Brentford held on for a valuable three points, Carvalho then joined the celebrations at full-time.
Welcoming Fábio to the family ??? pic.twitter.com/uFwjcpbjja
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) August 18, 2024
As the Brentford squad applauded the fans in the home end, Wissa dragged his new team-mate to the front to lead a rendition of ‘Freed From Desire’.
Carvalho was given a strong reception from the Brentford supporters, who are clearly happy with the deal to sign the attacking midfielder.
“Fabio, very pleased that we signed him, very excited about him,” Frank told Brentford‘s in-house channel after the game.
“I think he can be a big part of our history and raising [our profile] as a team, as a club, in the future.
“And he, just like everyone, needs to grow a little bit into it, which he will.
“The first reason why I wanted to sign him was his abilities on the ball and what he can do.
“The second thing was his work rate and intensity off the ball, which is the thing you need to have in the modern game. So I’m pleased for that.”
Wissa added: “I’ve been in the same position. Obviously he’s a good player, we know.
“It’s part of football, someone’s leaving, someone’s coming, and we need to welcome him very well.
“I think this team has a very good strength to welcome everyone. It’s a hard competition, but we need everyone, we need to win.
“So obviously it’s something I like to do, welcome guys and make them feel comfortable, because at the end of the day we need win and stay in [the league].
“We need guys like this, like Fabio, to help us.”
