Liverpool central midfielder Gini Wijnaldum has seemingly said his goodbyes ahead of a summer move as a free agent.
The Dutchman captained the side as the Reds sealed a third-place Premier League finish with a 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace at Anfield.
Following his 237th and likely final appearance for the club, the 30-year-old waved to the 10,000 Kopites inside the ground before strolling through a guard of honour made up of teammates and staff.
Wijnaldum told the club’s official website that regardless of his next career move, he will be a ‘Liverpool supporter for life’ and hopes to return as a fan one day.
An emotional social media post followed as the 73-cap star continued to all but confirm his departure from Merseyside.
Twitter: Thank you for everything, I will miss you #YNWA
https://t.co/kUsvxc3qbi (@GWijnaldum)
Signed from Newcastle for £25million in 2016 (BBC), the tireless midfielder has been a terrific servant to Jurgen Klopp’s side, coming up with the big moments on more than one occasion.
One such occasion that stands out more than any is perhaps the UEFA Champions League semi-final comeback victory against Barcelona in 2019 – the Dutch ace netting a second-half brace from the bench.
This season Wijnaldum was hailed as the ‘most consistent’ player in the squad by Klopp – perhaps owing to a remarkable 51 appearances in a strenuous campaign.
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There’s no doubt the midfielders class, availability and presence will be sorely missed next term.
Clearly highly regarded by Klopp and teammates alike, Liverpool must be immediately in the market for a replacement.
Good luck to Wijnaldum in wherever his next step takes him.
