Tuesday marks nine years since Georginio Wijnaldum became a Liverpool player and it is safe to say the rest is history.
After a very successful time in his homeland, Wijnaldum spent just one season at Newcastle as the Dutchman was part of their 2015/16 side that suffered relegation.
This did not stop Liverpool taking a punt on him, however, and it turned out to be a stroke of genius as the midfielder turned into one of Jurgen Klopp’s most important players.
He was an ever-present under the German and his engine in the middle of the park was a vital cog in a winning machine, even if he did sometimes go under the radar.
In 2021, after five years on Merseyside in which he won both the Premier League and Champions League, the Dutchman decided to leave in search of a new challenge.
However, despite being adored by many, there was a key reason why he chose to depart and Liverpool fans need to use this as a lesson going forward.
Georginio Wijnaldum left Liverpool because of fans on social media
Football can be a dark place at times, especially if players are not playing as well as they know they can, with the abuse they receive on social media being nothing short of inhumane.
This is something Wijnaldum had to deal with during the twilight of his Liverpool career, with this, in the end, being the reason why he wanted to go.
“There was a moment when I didn’t feel loved and appreciated,” he told The Guardian back in 2021.
“Not by my teammates and not the people at Melwood. From them, I know… I can say they all love me and I love them. It was not from that side, more the other side.
“I would have loved to remain a Liverpool player for many more years but unfortunately things went differently.”
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“I have to say also there was social media. When it went bad, I was the player who they blamed – that I wanted to leave. Every day in training and in the games, I gave everything I had to bring it to a good end because, during the years, Liverpool meant so much to me and because of the way the fans in the stadium were treating me.
“My feeling was that the fans in the stadium and the fans on social media were two different kinds. On social media, if we lost, I was the one who got the blame.
There was a moment when I was like: ‘Wow. If they only knew what I was doing to stay fit and play every game.’ Other players might have said: ‘OK, I am not fit.’ You get players in their last year who are like: ‘I’m not playing because it is a risk.’ I did the opposite.
“I didn’t always play good but, after the game, I could look in the mirror and say: ‘I gave it all. I trained hard to get better.'”
Liverpool fans need to be patient with their new signings
As Wijnaldum previously said, those fans inside Anfield are very different to those online, but all supporters need to get behind their players as much as possible.
Liverpool are known for being a tight-knit family and stick together through thick and thin, something that is needed more than ever this summer and throughout the upcoming season.
The new signings may not hit the ground running but there is a lot of pressure on their shoulders. The price tags, the expectations and having to adjust to a completely new environment quickly, there are so many factors involved.
The key lesson to learn from Wijnaldum’s situation is that these players are human too and not everything in the press about them is true, so the new arrivals need to be supported more than ever as they aim to make a real difference.
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