Former Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum has revealed why he refused to sign a new contract with the club. According to the player, he said he “didn’t feel loved and appreciated” by some of the fans and players when he was with the English Premier League side.
Wijnaldum Claims He was not Loved at Liverpool
The 30-year-old Dutch international joined French Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-German recently, and he has even requested the club to sign Manchester United star player Paul Pogba. He had joined the Reds for £25m from Newcastle United in 2016.
Wijnaldum made 237 appearances for Liverpool and helped them win the Premier League and the Uefa Champions League. according to Wijnaldum, he said: “There was a moment when I didn’t feel loved and appreciated.”
He also said: “Not my teammates, not the people at Melwood [Liverpool’s training ground]. From them, I know, I can say they all love me, and I love them. It was not from that side, more the other side.”
The crowd applauded him, and also his teammates and coaching staff gave him a guard of honour after their last game, which was against Crystal Palace. The player also spoke of social media impact on him. He said fans most time blame him when things go wrong in their games.
He pointed out his anger and frustration, saying: “Every day in training and the games, I gave everything I had to bring it to a good end because, during the years, Liverpool meant so much to me and because of the way the fans in the stadium were treating me.” “My feeling was that the fans in the stadium and the fans on social media were two different kinds.”
The Dutchman admitted that the fans in the stadium always supported him, and even when they came back, which is after the lockdown, they already knew he was going to leave. They still supported him, and, in the end, they gave him a grand farewell.
