Anfield custodian releases letter aimed at Liverpool supporters.
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Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina has revealed that he no knowledge of his season-long loan to Napoli and has been left disappointed at the club for forcing him out of Anfield this summer.
The veteran keeper, who has been reunited with former Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez at the Serie A side, even went as far to say that the Reds management went behind his back to agree the deal with Napoli and he repeated that he didn’t want to leave the club.
“It is only natural that I would be disappointed that the Liverpool management agreed to loan me to Napoli without telling me first,” he said in an emotionally-charged letter to fans on his official website.
“I thought that I deserved better than that even though I understand that difficult decisions have to be taken in football.
“I am disappointed that I will not be part of [Liverpool’s future] and although it was not my decision to leave I will accept it.”
Reina was allowed to leave Merseyside after eight-years of dedicated service at the club following the arrival of Simon Mignolet from Sunderland in a £8million deal.
The 30-year-old had been repeatedly linked with a move back to Spain to replace long-serving Barcelona keeper Victor Valdes at the Camp Nou during the season. But Reina confirms that he had actually began talks about a new contract, and wanted to stay at Anfield once no offer materialised from the Catalan club.
“A lot has been made about me informing the club that if an offer came in from Barcelona that I would have liked them to consider it.
“But I had also spoken to the club about the possibility of extending my contract if the offer was not made. I told the manager that I wanted to play for Liverpool and that Barcelona would only become an option for me if the opportunity arrived, like the rumours said it would, as it would be a chance for me to go back home.
“When it didn’t come I was happy to fight for my place so I was surprised that Liverpool decided it was in the club´s interests to send me to Napoli instead.”
The former Villarreal man has won the FA Cup and League Cup in a Liverpool jersey but he says best moment came in 2009 when David Ngog’s goal secured a 2-0 win over Manchester United.
He added: “No matter what the situation has been I hope that my passion has been clear,” he said. “I have been asked what my favourite Liverpool moment was and if I had to pick one it wouldn’t be a save or winning a trophy.
“It would be my celebration against Manchester United when David Ngog scored a late goal. That is probably the quickest I have ever run in my life. It shows what playing for Liverpool meant to me and also that there was nothing better than winning a big game at Anfield.”