Simon Mignolet was restricted to two appearances with Liverpool last season as the 31-year-old was forced to settle for a place on the bench following the arrival of Alisson from AS Roma in 2018.
The goalkeeper left the Merseyside club and joined Club Brugge in the summer and in doing so, became one of several senior Belgium players to make a switch to the Jupiler Pro League. Vincent Kompany is one of them as he joined Anderlecht, and there’s been suggestions that he started the return.
Kortrijk striker Ilombe Mboyo had suggested the former Sunderland man wouldn’t have been in Belgium if Kompany hadn’t signed for Anderlecht.
Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad interviewed Mignolet and when responding to Mboyo’s comments, the goalkeeper explained Jurgen Klopp’s side blocked his move earlier this year.
“That’s possible [Mboyo’s comments], although Bart Verhaeghe [Brugge president] called me last winter. It was non-negotiable for Liverpool then. However, with the return of so many Red Devils [Belgium national team players], I think that was set in motion by Kompany,” he said.
Apart from Kompany and Mignolet, Nacer Chadli and Kevin Mirallas returned and the custodian believes the players, including himself, joined Jupiler Pro League clubs to improve their chances of making it to Euro 2020 with Belgium.
Mignolet had an opportunity to earn better wages if he’d continued with Liverpool, but decided against doing so.
“When I went on holiday with my wife, Club Brugge wasn’t even in my head as an option. While I was open to it,” the Brugge keeper explained.
“I am a born and raised Truienaar and still supporter of STVV. But if there used to be a team that I had a warm heart for, it was Club Brugge. From my childhood.
“After the preseason, I returned with the idea: Now I am going to give everything here (Liverpool) and I get nothing in return.”
“However, that was the easy option: seeing out remaining two years [of my contract] at Liverpool, making good money at a top European club and being a free agent the age of 33.
“But another two years on the bench, that wasn’t in me. I have been at the end of my patience for the past six or seven months. The minutes I have already enjoyed with Club [Brugge], the qualification against Kiev and Linz, I have not felt that in the last two years.”
Clearly Mignolet is happy with his move to Brugge because he has the opportunity to play regular football, something that wasn’t the case in his final years at Liverpool.
