Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp concedes that no one on the outside thought that Gini Wijnaldum's departure would be such a loss when he decided to leave Anfield
Jurgen Klopp was a huge admirer of Gini Wijnaldum before he left Liverpool
Jurgen Klopp was a huge admirer of Gini Wijnaldum before he left Liverpool
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Jurgen Klopp admits that when Gini Wijnaldum left Liverpool few people thought he would leave such a void - before his quality quickly became apparent.
The Dutchman was signed in Klopp's first summer at the helm, joining from Newcastle. He would go on to play a central role in their Premier League and Champions League triumphs during his five year spell at Anfield.
Liverpool and Wijnaldum failed to agree on a new contract in the lead up to its expiry in the summer of 2021, and that saw the midfielder leave for PSG. The midfielder was never the most fashionable player, but his impact was hammered home once he left.
Klopp managed to cope with losing several senior players, the likes of Sadio Mane, but seeing Wijnaldum depart was a huge eye opener with the German admitting few thought his loss would be so acutely felt.
He told the Daily Mail: "We lost Sadio Mane. We could sing a song about him. What a player he was! Bobby Firmino: Oh. My. God. On the day Gini (Wijnaldum) went (in 2021), probably none of you thought; 'that’s a big miss' until he was not there anymore.
"Then you thought: 'Oh!' He was the combination of technique, power, tactical discipline and all these kind of things. Then Hendo (Jordan Henderson) left (in 2023). Some thought: 'Good! It’s time!' Milly went (in 2024) and all these kind of things. That’s just how it is."
Wijnaldum left Liverpool and never managed to recapture the form that made him one of the Premier League's most impactful midfielders. He only spent a year in Paris before he was allowed to leave on loan, and a permanent move was made the following summer and he now plies his trade in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ettifaq.
The Dutch midfielder had a huge impact during his time at Liverpool
The Dutch midfielder had a huge impact during his time at Liverpool(Image: Ian Hodgson/ANL/REX/Shutterstock)
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The midfielder admitted after his Merseyside exit that he felt undervalued by certain people at the club. "There was a moment when I didn't feel loved and appreciated," he said. "Not my teammates, not the people at Melwood [training ground]. From them I know, I can say they all love me and I love them. It was not from that side. More the other side."
Wijnaldum is one of a number of players to leave during the Klopp regime that ultimately struggled to replicate their Liverpool form elsewhere. Mane left for Bayern Munich in 2022 but found life difficult. Firmino equally endured his own struggles when he moved to Saudi.
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