‘I regret the way I left’: Liverpool icon opens up on his exit to Barcelona

Liverpool in the past few years have seen various players leave for a new adventure. However, some failed to leave the club with smile on their face.

Former Argentina international Javier Mascherano has revealed that his decision to quit Liverpool for Barcelona was not done the right way. According to him, he regretted how he acted in order to force his way out of the club.

Mascherano joined Liverpool from West Ham in 2007 and went on to become a fan favorite despite spending just three years at the club.

The Argentine has fans singing his name at match days and also has a song assigned to him after warming to his fully committed displays on the pitch.

However, Mascherano’s relationship with the club soured as he sought a move to Barcelona following Roy Hodgson’s arrival at the club in 2010.

Liverpool were not willing to let go of their most prized asset but Mascherano eventually left in unceremonious circumstances following a brief period of time where he refused to play.

Success followed at Barcelona with Mascherano winning five LaLiga titles, and two Champions League trophies. Despite this achievements, the now 40-year-old claims the way in which he forced his way out Liverpool “upset” him.

Javier Mascherano in action during the UEFA Champions League Semi Final first leg match between Chelsea and Liverpool (Photo by Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)

Mascherano opened up on the saga in March 2021. Speaking to FourFourTwo he said: “Liverpool fans weren’t happy with me at all and I completely understood why.”

The Argentine claimed the direction of the club was not aligned with his own, while he also wanted to leave the UK for family reasons. He added: “On the other hand, the board at the time had promised me something and weren’t keeping their word.

“We’d spoken about extending my contract, but it seemed like the directors didn’t care about me. In the pre-season after Rafa left, Roy Hodgson arrived.

“We had a meeting with the managing director, Christian Purslow, who told me I could go if a good offer came in. Then there was an offer on the table, but Liverpool were looking the other way.”

To force a move to Barca, Mascherano decided to go on a one-man strike. However despite voicing his regret at doing so he still maintains that the club failed to keep their word when it came to granting him a move.

“I was quite angry that they weren’t keeping their word. Refusing to play at City was the way I found to show my annoyance.

“I’d told the club I wanted to leave for family reasons, so I was very upset to have to act the way I did. There was no other option – otherwise, Liverpool wouldn’t keep their promise.”

While Mascherano didn’t win any silverware during his time at Liverpool, he was vital in the team that almost won the Premier League.