‘A really sad moment’ – Former Liverpool defender recalls the day Jurgen Klopp broke his heart
A former Liverpool defender has recounted the ‘really sad moment’ when Jurgen Klopp informed him that he wouldn’t be kept on at Anfield.
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Amid a major defensive injury crisis five years ago, the Reds signed Ozan Kabak on a half-season loan from Schalke 04, with the Turkish centre-back making 13 appearances on Merseyside before LFC decided not to pursue a permanent deal.
The 25-year-old has given an interview to The Athletic in which he recalled being thrown in at the deep end for his debut against Manchester City, and the heartbreaking moment when he was told that Liverpool wouldn’t be keeping him.
Kabak recounts heartbreak of Liverpool exit
Kabak said of Klopp breaking the bad news: “It was a really sad moment for me. I played as soon as possible.
“Three days after signing, I was in the squad [v Man City], and then six days later I played [against Leicester]. As a young central defender coming from another country, that is not easy, and it’s not something that every big club would choose to do.
“If I could have stayed longer in Liverpool, I think I could have shown my full potential, but I feel so lucky and blessed that I was able to play for this great club.”
Kabak made a valuable contribution in brief spell at Liverpool
Kabak may only have had a brief spell at Anfield, but he still left a positive impression as he ultimately helped the Reds to salvage Champions League qualification, and many Kopites had called for him to be signed permanently before the club ultimately chose not to.
He was only 20 when he came to Merseyside, and he arrived with LFC firmly in crisis mode in terms of squad depth and Premier League position, but triumphing over adversity has become a theme of his career.
The 25-year-old suffered a horrific ACL injury which sidelined him for 16 months until his comeback last October, but he’s swiftly become a central figure in Hoffenheim’s improbable rise to third in the Bundesliga, with a place in next season’s Champions League well within their grasp.
Kabak clearly still takes huge pride in having had the opportunity to play for Liverpool, no matter how fleetingly, and his heartbreak at being informed that his time at Anfield was over illustrates how much it meant to him to pull on the famous red shirt.
Hopefully he’ll go on to enjoy a few major highs in his career to counteract the setbacks he’s already experienced.
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