“I should’ve stayed” – Player regrets not being patient enough at Liverpool

Luis Alberto had a spell at Liverpool early in his career. The Lazio hero has revealed regret about not staying at Anfield long enough to shine.

The Spaniard joined the Reds as an up and coming youngster in the summer of 2013. This came right after he had impressed at Barcelona B and the move was seen as a significant step up for the midfielder.

Things never quite worked out for him at Anfield, as he played only 12 times for Liverpool. Loan deals at Malaga and Deportivo La Coruna followed and after he returned to England, Alberto was sold to Lazio permanently in 2016.

The player has now opened up about his career, offering a bit of regret.

Belief he should’ve stayed longer

Now at Al-Duhail in Qatar, the 33-year-old spoke to ABC in a lengthy interview about his career. He was appreciative of the opportunity at Barcelona B and revealed how the Liverpool move came about.

He said: “I came to England because of Brendan Rogers. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy; going from Barcelona B to Liverpool was a big change, and that was to be expected. I trained, did what they asked of me, and got a few games and some playing time.”

He went on to disclose his belief that he should’ve been more patient at Liverpool, even if the process would’ve taken time.

“I always say I made a mistake by not accepting reality. I should have stayed longer, even if it would have taken me some time to break into the plans, I wasn’t patient enough, and I left the following year.”

The Spaniard also revealed that he initially wasn’t going to leave the Reds in 2016. But Lazo pounced at the right time.

“I’d had a good season at Deportivo and was going to stay at Liverpool for the final year of my contract.

“I even had a verbal agreement with another club to return to La Liga the following year, but this opportunity came up at the last minute. I arrived there almost without thinking, and it was incredibly difficult at first.”

Noting how things improved gradually, he said: “I wasn’t enjoying the day-to-day; I went to training completely disconnected. I needed help to get back into football, or I would have quit.”

“I was recommended to a mutual friend, I started working with him, and in a matter of days, everything changed. And then you know how the story went, year after year, playing every game, enjoying myself, and competing at the highest level.”

Luis Alberto has had a good career

Even now, the 33-year-old is seen as an icon at Lazio. Arguably, he was one of the best midfielders in Serie A during his prime, as he featured alongside Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.

He fulfilled his potential at Lazio. He could’ve stayed at Liverpool when Lazio came calling but it has shaped him into who he is.

The regret may be there, but hindsight often provides certainties which never existed.