"I knew that I needed to go" - 26-year-old star reveals why he left Liverpool this summer

Celtic defender Nat Phillips has explained that he needed to leave Liverpool this summer to secure more game time.

Phillips joined the Scottish Premier League reigning champions on a season-long loan from the Reds. The English defender had struggled to nail down a place in Jurgen Klopp's first team, making five appearances across competitions last season.

He has opened up on his departure from Anfield by explaining the need to leave the Premier League giants for more game time. He said ahead of his potential debut against Dundee on Saturday (via Liverpool Echo):

"I've gone through a period at Liverpool where I've not been playing a great deal.

"Ultimately, in the transfer window, I knew that I needed to go and get games regularly somewhere. Celtic have given me a great opportunity to do that at a good level and at a huge club."

Phillips has linked up with Brendan Rodgers at Celtic Park. He's likely to be handed a more prominent role in the former Reds boss' side, with the Bhoys looking to retain their SPL title.

The Englishman struggled with first-team opportunities throughout his time at Liverpool. He made his debut in 2018 but made just 29 appearances, scoring one goal and providing one assist.

Phillips faced an uphill battle in trying to displace the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Joel Matip in Klopp's team. He has two years left in his contract with the Merseysiders.

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Uruguay manager Marcelo Bielsa says Liverpool star Darwin Nunez is struggling with muscular problems

Darwin Nunez was taken off by Marcelo Bielsa.

Darwin Nunez represented Uruguay on international duty on Tuesday (September 13), but his side suffered a 2-1 loss to Ecuador. The Liverpool frontman lasted just till half-time before being subbed for Cristian Oliveira in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier.

The Reds striker's national team manager Marcelo Bielsa has explained that Nunez was dealing with muscular difficulties (via Sport Witness):

“Darwin came out because he didn’t arrive well for the match. He had muscular difficulties and that limited his mobility. I thought it was a good idea to replace him because he couldn’t take on the rhythm of the game when we had to press or attack."

Nunez has made a superb start to the season with the Merseysiders, bagging two goals and one assist in four games across competitions. The Anfield faithful will be fretting about his availability, with Wolverhampton Wanderers visiting on Saturday (September 16).