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.
Denne historien er fra October 18, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra October 18, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
This one will mean something different. I'm doing it for me now'
The big interview Joseph Parker New Zealander believes upsetting Daniel Dubois on Saturday to claim the IBF world heavyweight title would be his greatest achievement yet
'We are one' Sudanese refugees find sanctuary with their neighbours
At the Joda border crossing between Sudan and South Sudan, movement is constant. Just 100 metres separate the two border checkpoints - on the Sudanese side, three raised flags welcome newcomers; on the South Sudanese side, a sign in Arabic and English marks the entrance to the country.
No chilling effect
Watchdog chief embraces new focus on growth
Clubs will disappear Grassroots rugby still crying out for help in shadow of Six Nations riches
ou may have noticed that the sports pages are less, well, sporty than they once were.
'Buckle up and enjoy the ride' Van Dijk calls on Liverpool to calm nerves and relish title race
Van Dijk calls on Liverpool to calm nerves and relish title race
Julianne Moore children's book under 'ideology' review in US
Julianne Moore has said it is a \"great shock\" to learn that one of her books has been \"banned by the Trump administration\" from schools serving the children of US military personnel and civilian defence employees.
Rise in teenagers penalised for riding e-scooters
Electric scooters have been blamed for a surge in children being penalised for driving without insurance.
Push to free Letby 'not right thing to do', says Streeting
Wes Streeting has said \"waging a campaign\" on behalf of Lucy Letby is \"not the right thing to do\".
Misogyny and mind games: Murdoch family rifts exposed in rare interview
More of the Murdoch family's betrayals, leaks, \"mind games\", manipulations and humiliations have been laid bare, after a messy court trial that offered tantalising glimpses inside the dynasty.
Bringing wolves back to Scotland could restore woodland - study
Reintroducing wolves in the Scottish Highlands could lead to an expansion of native woodland, which could take in and store 1m tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, researchers have suggested.
