The former goalkeeper has revealed Liverpool ordered him to stop publicly criticising the current shotstopper
Bruce Grobbelaar before the serie A match between AC Milan and SSC Napoli at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on April 15, 2018 in Milan, Italy.
Bruce Grobbelaar wasn't a fan of the shotstopper(Image: Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
View 2 Images
Bruce Grobbelaar claimed he was told to stop his public criticism of Simon Mignolet during the Belgian's tenure at Liverpool. The Reds are set to face one of the goalkeeper's former clubs, Sunderland, who he left in 2013 to join Anfield.
Mignolet spent six years with Liverpool, making 204 appearances and securing 66 clean sheets. The Belgian international had some successful periods at Anfield, tying for the most clean sheets in the 2013/14 season alongside Premier League rivals Joe Hart and Fraser Forster.
However, one former Red wasn't convinced by Mignolet. Ex-goalkeeper Grobbelaar claimed he was once told by the club's management to stop publicly criticising the 'keeper.
READ MORE: 'I'm completely aware of that' - Arne Slot knows what will be 'unacceptable' for Liverpool this seasonREAD MORE: I have sympathy for Arne Slot but he can do one thing to make his Liverpool job safe
The former Zimbabwean international, who was with the Reds for 13 years, suggested in 2015 that Mignolet was ripe for replacement. Grobbelaar said: "I've had my criticism of Mignolet for two or three years, I even got pulled in and asked not to criticise him so openly.
Ensure our latest sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings.
"But I think he [Klopp] is looking at it [buying a replacement for Mignolet].
"There are a couple of goalkeepers in the German league that he is looking at so I can see that might be one of his first signings."
*FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE!All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook page*
At the time, it was reported that then-Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was considering Bernd Leno and Loris Karius. Both keepers eventually made their way to the Premier League, with Leno turning out for Arsenal and Fulham, while Karius signed for the Reds in 2016.
Karius attempted to take over from Mignolet that season, but the two ended up sharing duties until Alisson Becker's arrival in 2018. He assumed the role of first-choice keeper, prompting the Belgian to transfer to Club Brugge - where he continues to star today.
Simon Mignolet of Liverpool at the end of the Pre-Season Friendly match between Liverpool FC and SSC Napoli at Murrayfield on July 28, 2019 in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Mignolet was heavily criticised by an ex-Red(Image: John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
View 2 Images
Grobbelaar evidently wasn't a huge admirer of the goalkeeper during his stint with the Reds. He even suggested that he had seen superior keepers at Ottawa Fury, where he was coaching at the time.
Speaking to talkSPORT, he added: "I've said that he is a goalkeeper who is a great shot stopper, but he is not the overall package. The overall package is good with your feet and coming out and commanding your area.
"I've got a goalkeeper in Canada, a 24-year-old, who does this better than Mignolet does and is just as good of a shot stopper. He is more of a package than Mignolet is."
Content Image
Content Image
Liverpool have final chance under Arne Slot to change issue that says everything
Liverpool have final chance under Arne Slot to change issue that says everything