What did Klopp say about Wijnaldum’s departure?
Following the 2-0 win over [team 51], Klopp said, “Where can I start? I met this wonderful player for the first time – we played, obviously, against him, and the first time I met him was in my living room at home because I had see to him and talk to him.
“From the first moment it clicked between us. He is a very friendly, very smart, very open person, and that never changed, that just improved.
“Yes, it is very emotional for me because I lose a friend and I will miss him, that’s how it is. But it’s normal in football that these kind of things happen – it’s not always nice, but normal, and I am really sure he will find a great place.
“Each club who is interested in him should call me and ask about him. Then you will take him, definitely, because I could not be more positive about what he did here. It’s incredible.
“He was not only always available, he played 90 per cent of the time really, really good. People might not know exactly what I mean with ‘good’ because sometimes it’s not that spectacular.
“Sometimes it’s that, but from a young kid he was an offensive No.10, to a winger at Newcastle, to coming here and becoming such a controlling midfielder. That’s a massive step and you only can do that when you understood the game, really, in the right way.
“He scored incredibly important goals: Barcelona, [team 69] I think was very, very important, [team 7] was very important. So many top, top-class performances.
“Now, it looks like the time is over but everything will be fine and nobody can take our memories from us. We will share them forever and that’s really great.
“I told him that after the game, he sees it the same way and the goodbye would not be tough if the time you had together was not worth it. So, it’s really tough because we had a great time together.”
Wijnaldum’s Liverpool career
He was a young man in a [player 20] team that were relegated from the [league 8]. In a fairly average outfit, the dutchman played a wider role and, at times, in an attacking midfield.
From his days in the [country 38], he was known for his work rate. Something [coach 455353] identified when the player was relegated with Newcastle.
For an average fee, [player 1365] joined [team 8] and had started an unforgettable journey. He had a good first season, and in the second season, he played for Liverpool in the [league 2] final, eventually losing to [team 3468].
Next season, he reached the final again with the same team and defeated [team 6] in the final. In the semi-final second leg against [team 83], Liverpool completed an incredible comeback. The reds were three goals down after the first leg, and in the return leg at Anfield, they scored an early goal before scoring thrice in the second half, attacking towards the famous Kop end.
In the game, Wijnaldum replaced [player 1078] as the halftime substitute after the Scottsman picked up a knock. The Dutchman eventually scored two goals in quick succession to level the aggregate score. Later, [player 1472] scored the winning goal from the iconic “quickly taken corner” by [player 1917]. Wijanldum’s contribution to their Champions League triumph will always be unforgettable.
The following season, he was in the Liverpool side, who won their first-ever Premier League title. Also, their first League title after three decades. The previous season, they lost the League to [team 9] after reaching an unbelievable points total of 97 points. It was extraordinarily bettered by City’s 98.
They won the League in 2020, and unfortunately, they did it without fans. However, with 99 points at the end and being the fastest side to confirm the title, it was a season of the ultimate success for Liverpool. Wijnaldum’s role in it was remarkable. The Dutchman is set to leave as his contract runs down. However, his contribution to Liverpool’s return to the top of Europe will always be appreciated by Liverpool fans all around the world.
Author: Devashish Akolekar
