Xherdan Shaqiri has admitted that he still enjoys watching Liverpool games, even after leaving the club.
The Swiss forward is currently in Qatar, preparing for his fourth World Cup with his country. In the meantime, he sat down for an interview with The Athletic.
Asked about his time with Liverpool, Shaqiri admitted that he’s still a fan of his former team.
“I had a very beautiful three years at Liverpool. We won many titles — we won the Champions League, we won the Club World Cup, we won the Premier League. It was a wonderful time. Liverpool will always stay in my heart. I’ll always cherish those memories. I will always follow them. The fans supported me a lot. They were so warm and I had a good relationship with the club,” said the 31-year-old.
“I still have my house in Manchester and when I go back there, I always try to watch some games. I just decided that it was the right time for me to go to take on a new challenge. I’m always watching the Premier League and especially the Liverpool games.”
Shaqiri, who left Liverpool for Lyon in 2021 and is now at Chicago Fire, also gave his take on the Reds season so far.
“It was a difficult start for them but I’m sure they will come back strong. They have the quality. This is football sometimes. For me it’s normal. You can’t always be at the top and in the best shape like they have been in recent years,” he said.
“Now maybe the other teams know more about how to play against Liverpool. But I’m sure Liverpool will come out of this. There are still so many games to play. They will push and I’m sure they will play in the Champions League again next season. I know how important that is for the club.”
Shaqiri gears up for fourth World Cup
It’s nice to hear that Shaq is still keeping an eye on goings on at Anfield. He was a much-loved player during his three years at Liverpool, but it never quite worked out for him.
Injuries played a big part in that, and he missed virtually the full title-winning season in 2019/20.
Now fully fit, he’ll be a player to watch in Qatar over the next couple of weeks. So often a passenger for his various clubs, Shaqiri bursts into life during international tournaments.
He memorably scored a hat-trick at the World Cup in 2014, and also scored in the tournament in 2018.
Boasting over 100 caps, he’ll be one of Switzerland’s main men. They’ll try to navigate a group containing his former Liverpool teammates Alisson Becker and Fabinho of Brazil.
All the best, Shaq!
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