Also not typical was Jovanovic’s goal celebration, the striker rushing towards the travelling Serbian fans only to find his way blocked by a moat surrounding the pitch, which he subsequently fell into.

“Can I explain it? Definitely not,” he said. “After the goal, it was a very special feeling, and you have to enjoy it, so you cannot explain it. I do not know what I wanted to do. Maybe I wanted to celebrate with the fans but I did not manage it. I only saw the hole very late, and too late to change my decision, so all I could do was jump down.”

Will Jovanovic do the same when he scores for his new club?

“I hope I score many goals for Liverpool, but it will not be easy, because there are so many players, so many good players competing for a place, but this is good,” he said.

“It is a motivation to be better in each training session, to learn, to grow up.”

Clearly, the Serbian – who can operate both as a forward or on the left of midfield – is not afraid of the hard graft that comes with appearing in the Premier League.

“I hope I can work hard here and help Liverpool,” he continued.

“That is my aim. I will learn every day. I’m 29 and that’s a good age to come here. When I was 26, two clubs tried to sign me.

“They were two excellent clubs. Every year I have had a possibility to go to bigger clubs but I stayed at Standard Liege. But I never cried. I was very strong. I knew that if I was lucky and not injured, I’d join a big club eventually.”

English football came recommended to Jovanovic from two sources – Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini, his former colleague at Standard, and fellow countryman Nemanja Vidic of Manchester United.

“Fellaini told me that training was hard in the Premier League,” he said. “He just said that all he does is train, play and sleep. That’s all he does. Very simple. So I am preparing for hard work and a simple life.

“Vidic has much respect for Liverpool. He paid Liverpool a big compliment. I’m sure we will fight on the field, but after the game we are big friends.”

Certainly, it’s easy to envisage Jovanovic making a few more during his time at Anfield.

PROBABLE TEAMS:

FK RABOTNICKI (4-3-3): Bogatinov; Dimonski, Fernando, Belica, Sekulovski; Tunevski, Gilgorov, Todorovski; Ze Carlos, Vandair, Fabio.

LIVERPOOL (4-2-3-1): Cavalieri; Kelly, Kyrgiakos, Skrtel, Agger; Lucas, Spearing; Amoo, Aquilani, Jovanovic; Ngog.