Former Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren has revealed he wanted to leave Anfield in 2019 after feeling ‘no longer counted’ at the club.
The Croatian finally got his wish the following summer as he headed to Zenit St Petersburg in a £10.9m switch, but the 31-year-old has now opened up on his final dealings with Jurgen Klopp.
Lovren spent six years at Anfield, during which time he played some pivotal roles in big games, whilst often being cast to one side owing to the unwanted frequency of less than convincing performances.
In his latter months as a Red, the defender became less of an on-field influence for Klopp’s side, instead spending his more cherished moments as Mohamed Salah’s best friend inside the squad.
Lovren told German magazine Kicker about his desire to leave long before he did, saying: ”We had some nice conversations in his office. It also got very loud, but always with respect, I had the feeling that I was no longer counted on in Liverpool. But I don’t want to be a substitute; I want to play football.”
”I actually wanted to leave in the summer of 2019, but that didn’t work out in the end.”
In his last season on Merseyside, Lovren played 10 Premier League matches and only 15 times in all competitions.
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Some less discerning Kopites may argue that Lovren’s time was up long before he wanted out in 2019. Often chastised for his errors, the 31-year-old was far from a fans’ favourite despite making 185 appearances in the famous red.
However, Klopp remained faithful to the Croatian right up until the end and always stood by his man.
As it turned out, the prolonged stay worked out for the betterment of all parties. Lovren collected Champions League and Premier League winners’ medals during the last 24 months of his tenure before ultimately getting his wish to move on to pastures new.
