"There was a moment when I didn’t feel loved" - star midfielder opens up on why he left Liverpool

Modified Jul 25, 2021 06:22 GMT

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. (Photo by Phil Noble - Pool/Getty Images)

Georginio Wijnaldum, who left Liverpool for Paris Saint-Germain this summer, has cited social media abuse as one of the primary reasons for him leaving Anfield and joining the Ligue 1 side on a free transfer.

In an exclusive interview with the Times (via the Liverpool Echo), Wijnaldum said the fans who come to watch Liverpool games at Anfield are different to what he finds online. Wijnaldum said:

"The fans in the stadium and the fans in social media were two different things. In the stadium, I can say nothing bad about them. They always supported me. On social media if we lost I was the one who got the blame — [claiming] that I wanted to leave. There was a moment when I was like, ‘Wow, if they only knew what I was doing to stay fit and play every game."

Gini Wijnaldum calls out fans on social media after leaving Liverpool. pic.twitter.com/Hrn2je5ZRZ
— B/R Football (@brfootball) July 24, 2021

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Gini Wijnaldum has also blamed the media for making up stories out of nothing. The 30-year-old former Liverpool midfielder claims he did not feel loved by people outside the club during his final two seasons in Merseyside. Wijnaldum added:

“Liverpool meant so much to me. There was some moment when I didn’t feel love and appreciated there. There was a moment when I didn’t feel loved. In the last two seasons. The media didn’t help."

"There was a story like I didn’t accept the [Liverpool] offer because I wanted more money, and the fans made it like ‘OK, he didn’t get the offer so he doesn’t try his best to win games. Some moments it was like, ‘Wow, me again?’"

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Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson training with RCD Mallorca

Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson is currently training with newly-promoted La Liga outfit RCD Mallorca as he tries to get back to full fitness following Euro 2020.

Jordan Henderson was given extra days off due to his exploits at Euro 2020, where England reached the final. Manager Jurgen Klopp has promised each player will be getting three weeks off before they return to the club for pre-season training.

However, instead of going on holiday, the Liverpool captain has decided to train with the Spanish minnows to get himself into the best possible shape before the start of the new season.