Sevilla Star Suso Reflects on Growing Up At Liverpool
Ahead of Sevilla’s Champions League match against Arsenal, the Spaniard reflected on his time in England.
On Tuesday evening, former Liverpool attacking midfielder Suso will take on Arsenal with Sevilla, and the now 29-year-old Spaniard’s return to England for the match brought with it an opportunity to reflect on his career—and his time as a Red.
For Suso, it’s a time he still looks back fondly on despite a string of managerial changes as the club moved from Rafa Benitez to Kenny Dalglish to Brendan Rodgers. If he had a chance to do it over, though, he might make a few different choices along the way.
“We had agreed everything verbally with Madrid,” Suso said, reflecting on his decision to spurn the Spanish capital for Liverpool as a 17-year-old. “We had been there to see the residency, the schools, the training ground, everything.
“That same day, [Liverpool] called and said, ‘Don’t go there.’ It was a period where young players in Spain weren’t getting opportunities, whereas in England they played the Carling Cup, the FA Cup. As a project and a culture, it attracted me more.
“Opportunities in Spain were always there; maybe the chance to join Liverpool was only going to be once in a lifetime. I had always lived at home with my parents and going somewhere so far away, so different to Cádiz, was a big change.”
Amongst trying to figure out a new language—with Suso noting he was able to understand Steven Gerrard’s Scouse accent better than Jamie Carragher’s—and changing managers, Suso eventually became a squad option for Brendan Rodgers.
In 2013, though, at the age of 20 he decided regular playing time would be better for his development than a squad role. The plan at the time was to return to Liverpool in a year ready to contribute, but the reality didn’t quite work out that way.
“Brendan was the closest thing to a Spanish coach, his way of playing, the tactical plans,” Suso added of his final years at the club. “He was a brave, giving me and Raheem Sterling a debut. Brendan said, ‘Stay here, I’m going to keep counting on you.’
“But when you’re young maybe you don’t think things through fully, don’t have the patience. I wanted to go to a team where I could play every game and come back more mature. Maybe if I was in that situation again now I wouldn’t do the same.
“When I returned I had one year left. I wanted to renew and Liverpool wanted me to but Milan were rejuvenating their squad. I had been at Liverpool four years and was happy but Milan was also a big club. If it had been another I might not have left.”
Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com
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