Alberto Moreno is looking forward to returning to Anfield for the first time since leaving Liverpool when his Villarreal side take on the Reds in the Champions League semi-final first-leg.
The Spanish left-back was released by Liverpool at the end of 2018/19 after making just five appearances all season. He played just 50 times during his three full years while working under Jurgen Klopp - with Andy Robertson often ahead of him in the pecking order.
However, Moreno decided to join Villarreal in July 2019 on a five-year deal. 12 months later, he was ruled out for an estimated six months with a cruciate ligament injury to the left knee. Moreno, though, recovered in time to feature in the Europa League final, where he scored in the 11-10 penalty shootout win over Manchester United.
A mainstay in the Villarreal side all season, Moreno has been a key figure in the team which has reached this stage of the competition. They have already beaten Bayern Munich and Juventus in the knockouts to get to the last-four and will be hoping to cause another upset against the Reds.
This is poised to be a special occasion for Moreno, who has explained how he will greet Klopp should he see him before, during or after the game. The 29-year-old admitted that the German boss is 'one of the best coaches in the world'.
He told Marca : "It is very good. Despite having played more or less in my time there, he is one of the best coaches in the world. Everything he is doing has enormous merit.
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"If I see him at Anfield I will give him a hug and talk to him because he always treated me well, despite playing sometimes more and sometimes less. As a coach, he is very close to the player, knowing what he has to say to you at all times, to motivate you, and not just the player.
"He also knows what to say to the group to tease you a bit, so that you go out on the field more involved. He is a motivator."
He added: "Many of Villarreal's players have already played at Anfield and they know what it's like. It is a point in our favour. We already know what that is and that we must try not to listen to anything. Dedicate yourself to playing football and that's it."
