Former Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet has claimed it’s a ‘relief’ to be playing first-team football once again.
The goalkeeper departed Anfield this summer, electing to return to Belgium with Club Brugge after six years on Merseyside.
Mignolet had grown tired of life on the bench for Jürgen Klopp’s side, having found himself outed by Loris Karius and then Alisson Becker.
Last season saw him make just two appearances in all competitions, forced to watch from the sidelines as Liverpool challenged for the Premier League and won the Champions League.
He’s back in the first-team picture at Brugge and admits that’s a relief after the frustration he experienced with Liverpool.
“It is a relief that I can play my matches every week,” he told Het Laatste Nieuws.
“That I can have fun again, can be important on the pitch. Eventually, I won the Champions League with Liverpool, but if you are not allowed to play, that’s not the same feeling.
“You know, it doesn’t matter if it is against, say, Oostend or Eupen: I want to save that one shot that makes us win the game.”
Life is certainly different for Mignolet back in his homeland, compared to what he had become used to under Jürgen Klopp at Liverpool.
It’s well known that the German has a particular way of doing things, particularly when it comes to training.
The pressure and the standards are different at Brugge and something the 31-year-old is undoubtedly enjoying.
“You have to drag me off the field,” he added.
“At Liverpool, it was stricter. If the clock had ticked for an hour, you had to go to the gym. The mentality was very different. Here, we do heavier training.
“We’re sometimes on the pitch for two hours here. That was adjusting for me. Not that it is more intensive but longer.
“The run-up to a match is also different. At Liverpool, we had to go on seclusion the day before matches. Even for home games. Not here.
“It is a wonderful life. My wife is also satisfied. The intention is to stretch this as long as possible.”
