For many players who’ve represented Liverpool over the years, it must’ve been a heartbreaking moment to move on from Anfield.
That was certainly the case for Adrian, who ended his five-year stay on Merseyside at the end of his contract last summer as he returned to Real Betis, where he had begun his career.
Now 38, the goalkeeper has given an interview to The Athletic in which he revealed how he broke down in tears when informing his family that his time with the Reds was over, despite being offered the chance to stay for another 12 months by sporting director Richard Hughes.
Adrian opens up about Liverpool exit
Reflecting on his emotional decision to leave Liverpool last year, the Spaniard said: “I cried when I left Liverpool. I didn’t get a chance to say a proper goodbye to the fans, so I had to make a video on my social media. I was at home with my family and I just broke down after.”
Adrian continued: “I felt sorry for my kids because they had spent all of their lives in the UK. I had five wonderful seasons there and won all the trophies, except the Champions League.
“One side of my heart was saying, ‘Come on, I love Liverpool, I love my Scouse people’. It was difficult saying no to Liverpool. It’s hard leaving a place where you feel loved by everyone, but this decision was about me and my family.
“I had a conversation with Richard Hughes, and they tried to convince me to stay [by offering a one-year extension], but, as I said, this was the right move for me.”
Adrian made a valuable contribution at Liverpool
Some Liverpool fans might be inclined to remember Adrian’s time at Anfield for his costly errors against Atletico Madrid when we exited the Champions League in 2020, and another tough night in the 7-2 defeat to Aston Villa a few months later, but he deserves better respect than that.
He was at he club for less than a week when he was thrown in at the deep end on the opening day of the 2019/20 Premier League season due to Alisson Becker’s injury against Norwich, and he proceeded to play 11 matches in our title-winning campaign.
Also, he was the Reds’ hero when we won the UEFA Super Cup within a fortnight of his arrival, decisively saving Tammy Abraham’s penalty in the shootout victory over Chelsea in Istanbul.
The continued brilliance of Liverpool’s number 1 and the emergence of Caoimhin Kelleher as a top-class goalkeeper saw Adrian demoted to third in the queue by the time he left Anfield last year, and ultimately it was only the irresistible lure of rejoining Real Betis to close the circle of his career which saw him move on.
The 38-year-old departed having played his part in a glorious era for the club under Jurgen Klopp, and while it was incredibly tough for the Spaniard to leave, he can be assured the warmest of welcomes any time that he returns to Anfield.
