Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Sean Bradbury

Liverpool star makes Barcelona admission and reveals best mates in squad

Gini Wijnaldum has admitted he still cannot believe what happened against Barcelona in the Champions League last season.

Liverpool staged a stunning comeback to knock out the Catalan giants with a 4-0 victory at Anfield.

And the Dutch midfielder came off the bench to bag a quickfire brace that sent the Kop wild.

Speaking in an Instagram Q+A today, Wijnaldum tried to put the "crazy" night into words.

He said: "It was a really crazy feeling [scoring the goals]. It was even more special after the game.

"During the game you are full of adrenaline. You don't realise what you have done.

"When I came into the dressing room and even when I drove home, I still didn't realise what just happened.

"But that was one of the best moments in my career so far. The feeling is difficult to explain.

"It's something you have to feel yourself. Even now I can't believe what happened!"

Asked who his closest pals are in the Liverpool squad, Wijnaldum said: "To be fair I'm quite good with everyone.

"But if I had to choose it would be probably Virgil [van Dijk].

"We sit next to each other in the dressing room and it's always easy to speak Dutch with him.

"But I also have good contact with Joe Gomez. We also hang out outside football.

"Those two are probably my best mates in the team."

Wijnaldum was also quizzed on his greatest moments as a footballer so far.

He said: "Of course it's winning the Champions League with Liverpool. It's a really big prize I had wanted to win for so many years.

"But also - spending time with my teammates, the technical staff, the medical staff, the people who work at Melwood.

"Everything together makes it a really, really good experience to play for Liverpool."

And when asked about the "toughest opponent" he has ever faced, Wijnaldum recalled a gruelling international encounter.

He explained: "Andrés Guardado from Real Betis. There was a game we played for the Dutch team against Mexico.

"It was a really, really hot day. He kept running and it was really difficult for me.

"Besides that he is a really great on the ball. It was a big thing for me to stop him.

"At the end we still won the game, but I have to say it was a tough one!"

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.