Alberto Moreno may have often been man on the peripheries at Anfield, but he looks back on his time at Liverpool with great fondness.
"They were beautiful years, but strange things also happened and others where I had bad luck,” the Spaniard admitted last year. Signed in 2014, Moreno went from a regular under Brendan Rodgers, to a valued - if fringe part - of Jurgen Klopp’s squad.
Having initially been the first choice left-back, Moreno slipped down the pecking order, ultimately replaced by Andy Robertson. And after making just five appearances in his final season at Liverpool, he decided to return to Spain, despite the offer of a new contract on Merseyside.
“In my fifth year, I was offered to renew for another five years. I said no. We’d had many years in England," he told El Periodico Mediterraneo. "I have three children and spoke with my wife, and we decided that the best thing was to return to Spain. I just wanted to go back to Spain."
Joining Villarreal, Moreno rediscovered some of his best form and despite a serious knee injury was fit and available for the Yellow Submarine’s Europa League final with Manchester United last year. And under the stewardship of Unai Emery, the full-back helped the La Liga side to a penalty-shootout victory over the Red Devils.
But it was the moments following the trophy lift which endeared him to his former club’s support as much as anything he did during his time in England. And footage which guarantees him a pleasant reception for his first game back at Anfield since leaving the club in 2019.
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On an Instagram live from the victorious dressing room, Moreno ripped into United and revealed his heart will be with Liverpool forever : “For all the fans of Liverpool, vamos [let’s go]! Man United, get out, get out! Man United get out! Ha ha ha!”
He then signed off with the line: “You’ll Never Walk Alone, siempre [forever]. Siempre Liverpool, my heart.”
They’re words which will stand him in good stead ahead of Villarreal’s clash with Liverpool on Wednesday night and ones which should give him a better ovation than the one offered to Luis Suarez.
The Uruguayan was essentially ignored by the Kop when Atletico Madrid came to town, despite achieving far more in a Liverpool shirt than Moreno ever did. And while the crowd will likely give him a respectful nod, Moreno has promised to extend his gratitude to Klopp, a coach he describes as one of the best in the world.
He told Marca: "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.”
