Not too many players have left Liverpool with their best days still ahead of them over recent years.
The Reds have once again become a destination club, with a move to Anfield now the high-point of any player’s career.
However, there is the odd exception to this rule. In the past, the likes of Xabi Alonso, Javier Mascherano and Luis Suarez all found success after leaving Liverpool.
And although he may not have enjoyed anything like the status of any of those three legends of the game, former Liverpool title winner Xherdan Shaqiri is now following suit.
Shaqiri had a strange time of things at Anfield. He was part of the Liverpool squad which won the Champions League and Premier League but was handed a bit-part role before exiting for Lyon in 2021.
Things didn’t work out in France for Shaqiri and he left for Chicago Fire in 2022. From there, the 33-year-old headed back to where it all began for him, joining Basel last summer. And now back on home turf, Shaqiri has quietly been tearing it up.
Xherdan Shaqiri enjoying unbelievable season
Shaqiri was something of a cult hero at Liverpool. Although he only played 63 times across three seasons, the Swiss still had some big moments and contributed to two huge trophy wins.
Clearly, he had more to offer than Jurgen Klopp allowed him to, though. And although now at an admittedly lower level, Shaqiri is really showing that.
Having been handed the captaincy upon his return last summer, the Switzerland legend is driving Basel on to their first title since 2017.
Unbelievably, Shaqiri has hit 14 goals and registered 17 assists in 29 Super League games this season.
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Just like former teammate Mohamed Salah at Liverpool, Shaqiri is both the top scorer and top assister in his respective division this term.
Having smashed a hat-trick of assists and a thumping finish in Basel’s latest game on Monday, Shaqiri is the main man for his club. Salah’s former team stand six points clear with five matches left to play.
What was Shaqiri’s record like for Liverpool?
Shaqiri has always been a player capable of something special. The former Bayern Munich man shone so many times on the international stage.
Unfortunately, we did not see that all too often at Liverpool, with his appearances and influence limited to that of a squad player.
63 appearances across three seasons was not enough to truly get the best of him, although some teammates believed Shaqiri had a better left-foot than Salah.
During his 63 games for the Reds, Shaqiri scored eight goals, perhaps the most memorable his double against Manchester United in 2018.
He also claimed nine assists, including a legendary cross for Gini Wijnaldum’s equalising third goal against Barcelona in the 2019 Champions League semi-final.
It’s great to see Shaq doing so well in the autumn of his career.
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