Naby Keïta's memories are inevitably tinged with regret when he looks back on his Liverpool career. Signed from RB Leipzig for a then club-record £54m after Liverpool paid a £6m premium to ward off competition from others chasing one of Europe's most in-demand players, the Guinea midfielder was handed Steven Gerrard's famous No 8 shirt when he arrived at Anfield in 2018.
But despite picking up the full set of winners' medals - from the Champions League and Club World Cup to Liverpool's first Premier League title - Keïta will always wonder what might have been after injuries restricted him to 49 league starts in five seasons.
“It was tough mentally, of course,” he says. “I was the first to get frustrated. I wanted to play every game but unfortunately I had a lot of injuries that prevented me from giving more than I did. But that's the life of a footballer. I did everything I could to be there for the team at all times, but unfortunately injuries are part of our job.”
Keïta found it hard to settle and sustained hamstring and back injuries during his first few months. He still managed to score in Liverpool's victory over Porto in the quarter-final as they went on to win the Champions League in his first season, although he had to miss the final against Tottenham owing to another injury. Yet even as Keïta's absences mounted and appearances became less frequent in the 2019-20 title-winning season and beyond, he never felt he was being criticised by the supporters.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
'Like a cat in a washing machine' Rower rescued as Australia braces for cyclone
Aurimas Mockus finally made it to Australia, but not in the manner he imagined.
T-shirts + thongs + perfect twerking = Anora's Oscar winning gen Z campaign
The extraordinary success of Sean Baker's sex worker romance at the Oscars last Sunday has left many gawping at the campaigning nous of the indie distributor Neon, which released the film in the US.
'Dumbest thing I've ever done' Blustering bravado, amateurish planning - and a love triangle
It began with a simple request, though it was written by one of the world's most wanted men.
How toxic is Tesla? Brand's reputation at risk with rise of anti-Musk protests
Globally renowned brands would not ordinarily want to be associated with Germany's far-right opposition.
Fruit loops How easy is to recreate that fruit platter?
Mothers have spent the week cursing the Duchess of Sussex for her beautifully arranged fruit plate, showpiece of her Netflix series With Love, Meghan, which was yesterday renewed for a second series.
Money hacks How to save money on your backpacking holiday
Don't overlook hostels Hostels can sometimes get a bad rap, with some people believing they are full of 21-year-olds looking to party from dusk until dawn.
Pollution fight Critical minerals turn Greenland into a legal battleground
From the iceberg-filled bay, the mountains above the town of Narsaq, in south-west Greenland, appear unremarkable.
Mass grave and evidence of torture discovered at Sudan detention centre
More than 500 people may have been tortured or starved to death and buried in a mass grave north of Sudan's capital, Khartoum, according to evidence seen by the Guardian.
Crypto scams How to guard against investment fraud
Millions of pounds are lost each week to fraudsters offering too-good-to-be-true opportunities. Zoe Wood reveals how they reel you in
Putin 'wants to end the war', says Trump
The US president, Donald Trump, said yesterday he found it \"easier\" to work with Russia than Ukraine and that Vladimir Putin \"wants to end the war\", just days after his administration cut off military assistance and intelligence to Kyiv.
