It’s no secret why Simon Mignolet left Liverpool over the summer, but he hasn’t spoken about it all that much since moving back to Belgium, where he currently stars for Cercle Brugge.
The goalkeeper was originally signed from Sunderland back in 2013 for £9.5m, and while he was the main starter for a large chunk of that, Jürgen Klopp’s arrival saw him challenge the Belgian with new signings, starting with Loris Karius and, when that failed spectacularly, Alisson Becker.
Mignolet made 204 appearances during his time at Anfield, conceding 239 goals and keeping 66 clean sheets, but after six years, a year of which was mostly sat on the bench behind the Brazilian, he decided it was time to leave.
Speaking to the show Extra Time, relayed by Sport.be, Mignolet looked back on why he left Liverpool and how things have gone since.
He said: “I didn’t see myself sitting on the Liverpool bench for two years. I would have then been 33 years old and I could hardly demand the club to be a starter. The Belgium national team also played a part. I had the honour to play for the best team in Europe and I’m happy to have won the Champions League with them.
“Despite the fact I didn’t play in it, I really felt supported by the group. I can now do what I love doing, which is play a lot. It’s nice to play an important role on the pitch and be one of the main guys. I want to win trophies, of course, and I always hope to contribute to wins. I’m very happy with my choice and feel like the happiest man in Belgium”.
