Alberto Moreno was one of the players Liverpool released at the end of the last season and he joined Villarreal as a free agent in the summer.
The left-back struggled for regular playing time in the last three years at Anfield and he dropped down the pecking order following the arrival of Andrew Robertson from Hull City in 2017.
Now settled back in Spain, he’s given a lengthy interview to El Periódico Mediterráneo.
The former Reds defender explained how things have been pleasant for him since leaving Merseyside.
“I am very comfortable, calm, but since I arrived, I have been pleasantly surprised by everything, the place where I live, the club,” he said.
“It is also true that I come from Liverpool, from raining all day, food, schedules. There were days I’d just had lunch and people were coming home for dinner.
“Now I’m back to enjoying the good food, the good weather, the language, having the family around… Everything is different.”
When further quizzed if all these factors influence an athlete’s performances, he said: “A footballer notices it, especially after five years in Liverpool, more than for me, for my family.
“It is key [language], for everyday life and for playing football. Sometimes I would go out to a game without knowing what to do. Although it is true that Liverpool’s English is very complicated, I would have liked to return to Spain with a little higher level.”
Moreno said Jürgen Klopp never provided him an opportunity after he recovered from an injury in 2018.
“After the Europa League Final (2016) I spent the year on the bench. Then I thought of leaving,” he said.
“Klopp told me if I got something really good and he didn’t need me, to talk, but in the end he convinced me to stay.
“And the first day came and I started playing, Premier, Champions League, always starting. Lopetegui even called me, Lopetegui for the national team…
“But I was injured in December and after I recovered, I no longer played. Klopp no longer gave me opportunities. He’s a very good coach, but he decides to go forward with his 13 or 14 players and that works.”
With Moreno struggling for regular opportunities, he decided to leave Liverpool in January, but things didn’t progress well once he decided to leave the Champions League winners.
“Although I knew from many months ago that I was going to leave Liverpool, everything was cooked in summer. Moreover, at the beginning of the year I was somewhat worried because nothing arrived. As of March, candidates began to come out,” he explained.
“I told them [Villarreal] everything I wanted and they tried their best to reach those numbers. I felt really loved again, not like other clubs that arrived, asked and disappeared. Villarreal came and made it direct. And here I am.”
