BARCELONA’S JAVIER MASCHERANO has made it clear that his past at Liverpool will not prevent him from joining another Premier League club if a good offer comes in.
The Argentinian enjoyed a three-and-a-half year spell at Anfield between 2007 and 2010 before moving to Camp Nou and he has nothing but fond memories of his time at the club.
However, that does not mean the defensive midfielder would reject the chance to join another English side in the future.
“My feelings for Liverpool don’t mean I’m tied to them,” he told The Guardian.
“I have a lot of affection for them and always will have, but if in the future a Premier League team gave me a chance, you can’t say: ‘No, I’d only play for one team’.
“We’re professionals, this is our living. Whatever happens, my feelings for Liverpool won’t change.”
Mascherano feels Liverpool were going through a difficult period at the time of his departure and he remains unhappy about his exit, but he feels the club are on the right track again under Jurgen Klopp.
“Liverpool were one of the best teams I played for, but the club had problems. I never met the owners.
“Liverpool’s a club to enjoy, to be there, to live. It’s not worth owning Liverpool 20,000 kilometres away; it belongs to the people and you don’t get that if you’re never there. It’s a pity,” he added.
“I was sad that I had to go the way I did. What happened is what had to happen.
They promised me that if there was a good offer they’d release me because the club was in a process of disintegration.
“But the club didn’t always tell the truth; it’s the player whose image gets damaged, the same happened to Fernando [Torres], but things were clear: I never lied.
“When Rafa [Benitez] went, they knew I’d leave. I felt the project was falling apart. Rafa had gone, there was no direction. And the offer was Barcelona.
“I always felt the club was trying to take a step forward but couldn’t. Now with Klopp they’re trying.
“He’s a manager for Liverpool, very much of the people. Nowhere has anybody treated me so well.”
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I’ve not seen an Irish ten who looks to have such a laconic style of play, such a silky pass. If he has the will to win of Sexton or the mentality of Crowley even Irish rugby is in a great place with two young fly halves for the years to come..
@Andrew Hurley: He also does beautiful spiral kicks. A dying art in rugby. Hopefully he can continue to develop and avoid injury.
Prendergast has something the other 10s in Leinster are missing, and Crowley in Munster does have, a bit of bite. Watching him in the RDS against Connacht, he was very vocal about what he wanted from the rest of the team. At one point when he and Harry Byrne were on the pitch, he told Byrne to… go away… when Byrne wanted to take a conversion. I like that about him. And that’s without taking into account his playing abilities.
We’ve heard similar about Byrne, Frawley and Carbery, so I’ll be cautiously optimistic. Hopefully he can make the step up.
@Sam Bingham: The early career hype can really mess with a player (and many fans too).
@Sam Bingham: Carbery was an absolutely fantastic player before injury derailed him. Also I tend to agree with Luke Fitzgerald that he should have been played at 15. In an alternative universe he could have got the Hugo Kennan gig
The42 can you publish all rugby related articles under rugby section too? Lately there is a mismatch with several articles under latest news and not rugby.
@Con Cussed: They’re trying to make us use the ‘sport’ section more, as most other areas are dead, it works for me but is slightly annoying
Great potential just needs game time to prove correctly or incorrectly Joe Public’s perception of his skills.
Another 42 hype article. Let him show on the pitch what he can do. Until then more temperate language would be appropriate. I am neutral on the guy. He might be the best thing since sliced bread . As of today there is nothing tangible to say one way or another. Let him guy develop without all this noise.
@seamus Beirne: I would have a different opinion. In every match I’ve seen him in from U20s up, he’s been easily the best player on the pitch. He stands out.Crowley had the same impact. We’re in a good place here, not in hype country.
@Mark Russell: hes better than crowley IMO, Jack better get used to the bench
@Mark Russell: a string of constant stand out performances in major matches is what you need to generate hype. Until then ….. it is opinion not fact. There is too much of a tendency to blow up players too early. This Gus has only 5 appearances for Leinster for Christ sake. If he is as brilliant as you say he would be playing much more. You have to respect what the management ticket in Leinster see and do also. If you are good enough, you are old enough.Ntamack debuted for France at age 20.
@seamus Beirne: important senior matches I meant to say
@seamus Beirne: Once again Seamus your anti-Leinster bias and “my province is better than yours” child like mentality comes to the fore. So much so that you’re completely ignorant or just just totally misinformed about actual facts in your haste to be outraged. Prendergast has 16 or 17 apps this season alone for Leinster, not 5 as you state. This is in addition to several appearances last season. At the same age for context, Crowley had 2 brief sub apps off the bench. So Sam P has played a lot more than you’ve incorrectly pointed out and he’s impressed in these games. It’s up to him to deliver on his potential and most level headed people believe that incl me. Were you similarly outraged when Crowley was being overhyped in the 6 Nations after only 8 months as first choice 10 for Munster?
A lot of potential and looks like he is getting the opportunity . Would be interesting to see if he starts a test , really throw him in the deep end and see what happens
Don’t believe this guy has it.. he seems to take too long on the ball and looks an easy target to get smashed.
@DaithLee: does he get smashed? If he does, with or without the ball?? Sexton used to get regularly mullered, regularly late, ball gone, the best out-halves will draw people to them at times and take one for the team.
As long as he knows when to let it go. Variety is the spice of life at 10. Do the same thing every time and defences find it easy