Belgian shot-stopper Simon Mignolet left Liverpool to sign for Club Brugge this summer.
He signed a five-year deal at the club for a reported fee of around £8m and he has revealed that he felt he needed to make the decision for the sake of his career.
The 31-year-old was Liverpool’s number two behind Alisson Becker, who was signed in the summer of 2018. As quoted on Goal, Mignolet said:
I think it got to the stage where I had to leave. I had been sitting on the bench for a year and a half, and with Euro 2020 coming up I knew that I needed to be playing regularly if I wanted to be part of the Belgian squad.
The more time you spend on the bench, as a No.2 goalkeeper, the harder it is to come back and play at a high level. I believe that.
Some people are able to accept being a backup, and that can work for them. But for me, I am not a character who wants to sit on the bench. I want to play, and this summer the opportunity came up to come back to Belgium and it was the right one.
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Mignolet was a wonderful servant to the club and despite getting his fair share of criticism, he continued to be professional and give his all.
There was no way that he was going to overthrow Alisson as the number one and he realised that so making the move was a sensible option from him.
His honesty regarding the move is also very nice to see. He still holds Liverpool very dear in his heart and maybe one day, he can return to Anfield with Brugge to a very warm reception.
