'Even today': Naby Keita admits what he now thinks of Liverpool fans after leaving Anfield last year
10/17/2024 10:00 AM
Naby Keita left Liverpool one year ago having spent his entire Anfield career dealing with injuries and inconsistent form.
The Guinea international joined the Reds in 2018 with huge fanfare, with Keita the first Liverpool player to inherit the no. 8 shirt since Steven Gerrard left the club, putting huge pressure on the former RB Leipzig midfielder.
Yet with Liverpool staff theorising that Keita never adapted to the Premier League, the 29-year-old never got to show English football fans what he was truly capable of, even with the midfielder part of the squad that won the Premier League and UEFA Champions League under Jurgen Klopp.
And Keita has now shared what he thinks of Liverpool fans having left the club.
Naby Keita still told by Liverpool fans they ‘love’ him
Speaking to the Guardian, Keita revealed that he still receives a lot of love from Liverpool fans whenever they meet him, with Anfield supporters still holding a special place in their heart for their former midfielder.
Even with Keita not hitting the heights many expected, the 29-year-old still has a good relationship with fans, with the now-Werder Bremen maestro saying: "The Liverpool fans have given me a lot of love. Even today, wherever I meet them, they show me the same love.
“They're the best fans in the world. Liverpool is a family and you never walk alone. My aim was to fulfil my childhood dream of winning titles. Winning the Premier League after 30 years, winning the Champions League – these are incredible moments that I can't forget.
“We won a lot of trophies and we were able to make our fans happy. That was the most important thing. This team was hungry. We wanted to win every game and we were lucky to have Jürgen Klopp to push us to give our best on the pitch. He's a fantastic coach and he was the strength of this group."
How has Keita done since joining Werder Bremen?
After being released by Liverpool, Keita returned to the Bundesliga to join Werder Bremen on a cut-price contract, where many fans expected the midfielder to return to his best having last flourished in Germany.
However, the Guniea international’s time with the Bundesliga side has been nothing short of a disaster, with Bremen looking to sell Keita to China last month having fallen out of favour with club officials over the summer.
With Keita yet to even play this season for Keita, the midfielder’s career is completely up in the air, and it might take some before the former Liverpool man is truly back to his best having shown so much promise over the last few years.
