'I could have done more': Record-breaking player admits he left Liverpool too early in his career

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Liverpool is one of the biggest clubs in world football, which is why it is rare for a player to depart Anfield and to end up becoming something better.

From Philippe Coutinho, Sadio Mane and Jordan Henderson are just a select few who left Liverpool perhaps a year or two too early in their careers and have ended up paying for it, whereas the likes of Luis Suarez, Dominic Solanke and Lucas Lieva have all flourished after leaving at the right time.

One player who has thrived since departing Liverpool is Luis Alberto, with the winger leaving for Lazio in 2016 where the Spaniard became a legend with the Serie A side and broke the record for the most assists with the Roman club.

Yet Alberto has now admitted that maybe he left Liverpool too soon in his career.

Luis Alberto says he wish he stayed at Liverpool for longer

Speaking to Cronache Di Spogliatoio, the 31-year-old playmaker revealed that he enjoyed his time at Liverpool and wish he had stayed at Anfield longer, though his need to play meant he didn’t want to stick around to be a benchwarmer.

Alberto said when looking back on his career: "Even in Liverpool the dressing room was beautiful, I could have done more: I could have stayed there, but I was young and I wanted to play, so I went."

With Alberto going on to become a legend at Lazio and one of the best creators in all of Europe for a good few years, it’s clear that the one-time Spain international made the right call in leaving Liverpool when he did in his career.

However, given how big a club Liverpool are and how good Alberto would end up becoming, the winger can be forgiven for wishing he had remained with the Reds, where he could have become a regular had he stuck around.

Alberto should have no regrets over when he left Liverpool

Football is a funny game where some players taking a big risk in their careers can lead to them fulfilling their potential and achieving greatness, and Alberto certainly did that with leaving Liverpool for Lazio.

The former Sevilla academy star swapped Merseyside for Rome in a move that few players would have made, yet Alberto made the transfer work and became a record-breaker with Lazio in his eight years with the club.

Now in Qatar, Alberto has seemingly achieved all there is in his career with the path he took, and the winger should not feel any regrets on the decisions he made in leaving Liverpool to join Lazio, a club that got the best out of him.