Xherdan Shaqiri lifts lid on what Jurgen Klopp texted him after sealing Liverpool exit
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Xherdan Shaqiri has revealed what Jurgen Klopp texted him after the winger finally sealed a move away from Liverpool. Shaqiri joined Lyon in the summer transfer window after being kept on the fringes by the likes of Mohamed Salah – and has admitted he wanted to leave the Premier League giants sooner than he did.
Shaqiri has made a decent start to life in Ligue 1, having established himself as a first-team starter on the right wing, scoring in the win over Troyes and helping his new club to victory in their opening two Europa League games.
The 29-year-old will also captain the Switzerland national team over the upcoming international break, in the absence of Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka.
It is a different story to his time at Liverpool, where he was restricted to a back-up role with the world-class front three of Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino joined last year by Diogo Jota.
As he prepares to lead his country in World Cup qualifiers against Northern Ireland and Lithuania, Shaqiri has admitted he wanted out in search of first-team football.
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“I wanted to leave Liverpool sooner,” he told Swiss publication Watson.
“But I wasn’t allowed to; the club wouldn’t let me go. The important thing for me is that I’m gone now.”
Shaqiri insisted he left Liverpool on good terms – and received a parting message from Klopp.
“There were also offers from Spain and Italy,” he said. “I was in contact with him [Klopp] by phone before that.
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“When the time came, he texted me. He wished me luck in that and said that I was a good player and a good guy.
“We never had any problems with each other, and we had a very good relationship.
“But I just wanted a new challenge, that’s normal in football. Jurgen helped me in this regard.”
Shaqiri scored eight goals in 63 games for Liverpool, also contributing nine assists as he helped the Reds win the Champions League, Premier League, Super Cup and Club World Cup.
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His time at Liverpool was disrupted by injuries, with Klopp having described him as a “very special player” despite his struggles.
Last year Klopp said “there was never any doubt” about Shaqiri’s quality, while earlier in the year he praised the player’s physique.
“It’s not cool, absolutely not cool,” he told the club’s official website of Shaqiri’s fitness struggles.
“Shaq is a very special player in different departments. His physique is different to all others I ever saw, his muscles are unbelievable.”
Prior to joining Liverpool, Shaqiri played for Basel, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Stoke City.
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