A former Liverpool star opened up about how he felt he had to leave Anfield
Christian Benteke
Christian Benteke struggled during his year at Liverpool(Image: Getty)
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Christian Benteke once claimed he left Liverpool to avoid being a "loser". The Belgian, 35, struggled during his year-long spell with the Reds.
Benteke had thrived at his previous club, Aston Villa, where he boasted an impressive record of scoring a goal every two games. That convinced Liverpool, managed by Brendan Rodgers, to splurge a then hefty sum of £32.5million for the Villa striker in the summer of 2015, making him the club’s second-most expensive signing.
Yet, the Belgium international failed to have the same impact at Anfield. Following the arrival of Jurgen Klopp in October 2015, the new manager initially got the best out of Benteke but used him more and more sparingly as the season progressed.
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His demotion to the bench meant he was limited to just 14 league starts that campaign. Despite scoring nine goals, the writing was on the wall for Benteke at the end of the season, given Klopp’s preferred playing style.
Benteke sealed a £27m move to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2016 after reaching the final of the League Cup and the Europa League and losing both fixtures. The forward, currently with UAE side Al-Wahda, was brutally honest when explaining why he left Merseyside at the time, saying he preferred to exit than complain about his unsatisfactory role in the squad.
He told L’Equipe in 2016: "When Klopp came in, given the players available to him... I wasn't among his first choices. Given the way he wanted to play, perhaps there were more interesting players than me.
"But I'm not a child: I didn't cry, I didn't moan, even if of course I wanted to play. It was frustrating.
Jurgen Klopp talks to Christian Benteke on the pitch
Jurgen Klopp didn't use Benteke much after taking charge at Liverpool (Image: Getty)
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"You can't allow yourself to give up, to stay in the situation of a loser, so you try to find a solution, to be happy. I found that by coming to Crystal Palace, and I'm happy today."
After scoring eight goals in his first 13 games for Palace, Benteke added: "It's thanks to Alan Pardew that I came [to Crystal Palace], because he believes in me. I needed to get some playing time. I scored early, which was important."
Benteke’s strong start also included a brace in a 2-1 win over Liverpool. He remained at Selhurst Park until 2022 and later rediscovered his clinical edge in MLS with DC United, scoring 25 goals in 33 games in 2024.
The veteran striker’s final season in the MLS saw him notch a further nine goals, before securing a move to Al-Wahda in January 2026. Benteke has managed two goals in eight appearances for his new side.
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