Xherdan Shaqiri left Liverpool to join Lyon in the summer and the Swiss winger has revealed he wanted to leave the Merseyside outfit earlier.
Shaqiri made the switch to Anfield from Stoke City in 2018 and while he had some memorable moments with the club, he failed to establish himself as a first-team regular under manager Jurgen Klopp.
There were times in his three years with the Reds that Shaqiri would play alongside the illustrious attacking trio of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane, although in the main he was used as a backup option to the three.
READ MORE: Newcastle takeover creates an issue Liverpool fans won't envy
The arrival of Diogo Jota last season pushed Shaqiri even further down the pecking order at Liverpool, as did Harvey Elliott's return from Blackburn Rovers on loan. So it was no great surprise to see the 29-year-old decide to explore a new challenge in France.
Speaking to Watson (h/t Sport Witness ), the Swiss international said he had wanted to leave Merseyside a while before he was eventually sold and revealed he received a message from Klopp wishing him well with Lyon.
"I wanted to leave Liverpool sooner," he said. "But I wasn’t allowed to; the club wouldn’t let me go. The important thing for me is that I’m gone now. There were also offers from Spain and Italy.
"I was in contact with him (Klopp) by phone before that. When the time came, he texted me. He wished me luck in that and said that I was a good player and a good guy.
"We never had any problems with each other, and we had a very good relationship. But I just wanted a new challenge, that’s normal in football. Jürgen helped me in this regard."
Shaqiri has made five appearances for Lyon in the French top flight since the switch, notching one goal and one assist.
In the summer he did show he has something to offer at the highest level still, notching three goals and an assist for Switzerland at the European Championships.
While Shaqiri wasn't a key cog in Liverpool's success in recent years, he did play his part. The winger started the memorable 4-0 win over Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final in 2019, setting up Georginio Wijnaldum's second goal and the team's third on the night.
