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“I was no longer counted”: Dejan Lovren opens up on Liverpool exit

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Liverpool are down to just one centre back in the first team. Joel Matip is the last man standing. This is in part down to the decision to sell a centre half this summer without replacing him. Now enjoying life at Zenit, Dejan Lovren has spoken about why he left Liverpool.

Dejan Lovren has spoken about why he left Liverpool.
Photo by Silvia Lore/Getty Images

Lovren joins Zenit

Over the summer Dejan Lovren joined Zenit for £10.9m.

The Croatian has become a mainstay in the Russian side’s defence since his summer switch.

He has been putting in impressive performances at the back, earning a WhoScored rating of 7.08.

The defender’s departure was considered a gamble by many in that he wasn’t replaced by the Reds.

The gamble didn’t pay off, within a couple of months Liverpool were down to just one centre back.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIRPHq72CTY

Dejan Lovren on Liverpool exit

It is no secret that Dejan Lovren was on the fringes at Liverpool for some time before his departure.

The defender had become fourth choice after strong spells from Joe Gomez and Joel Matip.

Speaking to Kicker, Dejan Lovren opened up about his Liverpool departure:

I had the feeling that I was no longer counted on in Liverpool. But I don’t want to be a substitute; I want to play football.

“Playing because others are injured – that’s exactly what I didn’t want anymore.

“I want to be important to a team, and that’s me here at Zenit.

“I actually wanted to leave in the summer of 2019, but that didn’t work out in the end. Fortunately, that’s how I left as a master

What RTK has to say

Fair enough Degsy.

We said all summer that Dejan Lovren was too good to be on the bench for Liverpool.

The Croatian is a World Cup finalist for crying out loud.

Thankfully he stuck around long enough to leave with that Premier League winner’s medal around his neck.