Heerenveen winger Chidera Ejuke has opened up on how he had a chance to sign for Liverpool in the early years of his career.
Ejuke says he had a trial with the Reds four years ago, when he was 18, but failed to impress enough to earn a contract.
The forward eventually returned to his homeland in Nigeria, disappointed at not being offered a contract with the Reds, and later moved to Norway with Valerenga.
Just under two years later, in January 2019, Ejuke was signed by Eredivisie side Heerenveen and has flourished at the Dutch club.
Ejuke says the rejection from the Reds four years ago has also inspired him to perform better and prove people wrong.
“When I was just 18-years-old and still living in Nigeria, there was a scouting programme on the other side of the country,” Ejuke told Voetbal.
“I was picked out together with three peers by a scout from England. We were allowed to have a trial at Liverpool. It was the first time that I left my country and then also for an internship in my dream competition.
“We were warmly welcomed at Liverpool. We did an internship there for a few weeks, it went pretty well, but I probably wasn't good enough.
“Liverpool was not interested and so we had to return to Nigeria. That was just as tough. This was the opportunity I had been dreaming about all these years and if it doesn't work out, it's bitter. It felt like I had let down my agent and my family.
"If I had taken that chance, it would have been a different story, but it was a good experience. That missed opportunity became a source of motivation for me and it helped me grow as a player. I had tasted Europe and now I wanted more.”
