A forgotten Liverpool midfielder has received an outpouring of support on social media.
Stefan Bajcetic left Liverpool to rejoin Celta Viga during the summer window
Stefan Bajcetic left Liverpool to rejoin Celta Viga during the summer window (Image: Getty)
A number of Liverpool players have offered their support to Stefan Bajcetic after he left Anfield at the end of the transfer window. The youngster was once hailed as a potential future star and impressed when he broke through at Liverpool several years ago. Since then, however, his development has been hindered by injuries and a lack of playing time.
Those setbacks led to Bajcetic, who has not played a competitive game for over a year, becoming something of a forgotten man at Liverpool. After five years on Merseyside, he left the club in the final days of the transfer window to rejoin Celta Vigo on a permanent basis.
Bajectic took to social media on Thursday to send an emotional goodbye message to Liverpool, thanking his team-mates over the years in addition to members of staff and the club's supporters.
He wrote: "In life sometimes you need a change and thinking of myself and my family I think it’s time, the memories I’ve had with this club will stay with me forever and I’m glad I will be able to tell my kids I played in the best club in England.
"We will never know what could have been but my period here has helped me mature and grow as a person and as a player, from what I was when I arrived at 16 to now it’s a completely different person.
"I lived with a Scouse family that showed me how special this city and people are, and I can proudly say I will always have a little bit of that in me. So thank you for everything from the bottom of my heart, me and my family will always be Reds."
Several of his Liverpool colleagues replied to the post with supportive messages, with Hugo Ekitike writing: "Good luck brother."
Lewis Koumas, who has been integrated into the first-team squad this season under Andoni Iraola, simply replied with a red heart emoji. Jay Spearing, Owen Beck, Callum Scanlon and Bobby Clark also left similar comments.
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Liverpool will continue their Premier League campaign on Friday night, when they travel to Portman Road to face newly-promoted Ipswich Town.
Marquee summer signing Bradley Barcola could make his Reds debut against the Tractor Boys, having arrived from Paris Saint-Germain before the end of the window.
Speaking on Thursday, manager Iraola said: "I've liked from him that he wanted Liverpool a lot. He just wanted to come here and I think that's a good first sign.
"Being the player that he is and the things that he has won recently, I think he has come also with the willingness to help us. I'm very happy with him.
"He trained well with us. If everything goes well [in] today's training also, he will definitely be available for tomorrow, yes."