**You’re humble enough to not necessarily want to hear it, but you are a Liverpool legend – that’s how you will leave this club, that’s how everyone thinks about you. How much has it got into your heart and what do the fans mean to you personally?**
I’ll let other people say if I’m a Liverpool legend or not – I think you know me well enough that I will never accept that. But from minute one I came into this football club, I wanted to be successful. I wanted to try to bring trophies back to this football club, try to help put us back onto a place where I believe this football club belongs. I’m very proud that I’ve been a part of fantastic teams that have been able to do that. The club means everything to me. The people within the club mean the world to me. The fans have always taken to me. I always remember my debut against Crystal Palace when I was a relative nobody – obviously signing from Hull City, only £8 million. I played my debut and already the Kop had sung my name. It was a moment I couldn’t quite believe. Then the next three months I’m not seen again, which I remind Jürgen \[Klopp\] of quite a lot!
Then obviously when I found my chance, that’s what kept me going in that time and when I got my chance I just wanted to make the people within this club and the supporters proud of the left-back they’re seeing performing week in, week out. They have been outstanding with me, unbelievable with me. Always supported me, always been so positive about me. I couldn’t have asked for a better fan base. I couldn’t have asked for better people within the training ground, keeping me going. The nine years, I’ll look back with a big smile on my face. I do get emotional at times. Now is not that time but saying goodbye to everyone will be difficult. But it’s also the time to do so and it’s also something to celebrate with the nine years we’ve all had together.
**Before those final goodbyes do come, it’s a case of business as usual and head down, focused on the final few weeks of the season…**
From the minute I came into Melwood in 2017 until my very last day at the AXA, I’ll give my all for this club. That’s what I think has brought success to this club over a certain period of time, where everyone has given absolutely everything. We have a duty as players to finish this season as positively as possible. It has not been the season that we’ve wanted but it’s up to us to try to finish it on as good a note as possible. For me in particular, that’s what will keep me going from now until the end of the season. I know my journey is coming to an end – I know it has been an incredible journey – but I won’t let up.
This club means everything to me. The fans mean everything to me. The people connected to the club mean everything to me. And I think I owe it to them still that until my very last day I’ll give everything to this football club, which I’ve done over the last nine years and I’m very proud of that. That’s not going to change and I think that’s why now is not the time for big emotions or me crying down a camera or anything like that. I’m still fully focused on trying to end this season as positively as possible, to help these lads and to try to give a few more good moments to the fans. That’s my aim and hopefully then we can do it and maybe closer to the end of the season you’ll have me down a camera crying my eyes out.