Wijnaldum: I will be a Liverpool fan for life

An emotional Gini Wijnaldum says that he will always be a Liverpool fan after confirming that he has played his final game for the club.

Liverpool confirmed their place in next seasons Champions League competition after a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace in the final game of the Premier League season.

The topic of whether Wijnaldum and the club would come to a agreement over a contract extension had been discussed almost as often as Liverpool’s injury crisis, with precious little clarity over the situation.

As we drew closer to the end of this season, the writing was well and truly on the wall that the Dutchman was coming to the end of his spell at Liverpool after five fulfilling seasons.

That was made official after the victory which saw Liverpool clinch third position and the midfielder was in a reflective mood when speaking to the Official site.

“I think if you look back a few weeks ago, no-one thought it was possible to qualify for the Champions League again. So, I’m really happy that we still managed to turn it around and qualify for the Champions League.

"I think that’s something this club deserves, something the fans deserve – and the players also. But on the other side, also sad that it looks like it’s going to be my last game. It will come an end to the period at Liverpool.”

The 30 year-old spoke with great pride over Liverpool’s finish to the season, as at one stage the team was highly unlikely to finish in the European places, let alone the Champions League. 

However when all hopes were lost, Jurgen Klopp’s men put together a run of eight wins and two draws in the final 10 games including five consecutive victories to round out the season.

The main goal for Wijnaldum was to leave with some silverware, but said while that didn’t happen, the final placing on the table was a well deserved reward for their effort.

 “The only regret I probably will have is that I couldn’t leave with a title or a prize, that would be really, really good for me, for the fans and for everyone. But everyone knows the circumstances we had during the season. It was really difficult – really difficult. 

“But if you look how we changed it around, what I just said before, a few weeks ago I don’t think a lot of people would have thought that we could finish third and qualify for the Champions League. That’s a good one. I’m happy we could bring Liverpool to the Champions League and that I basically put them in a good spot when I leave.”

Normally when someone calls time on a career or decides to move on to another club, they describe a memorable game or special moment that instantly comes to their mind 

While Wijnaldum has won a number of honours and produced big performances, the general feeling of being a Liverpool player is what stands out the most.

“Going to Melwood and now Kirkby, that’s something you have to feel, something you have to see as a player. For me, that’s the most important thing I will have in my heart.

"And of course the extra things – the Champions League; the title was unbelievable, especially because the club had to wait for 30 years. Unfortunately, we couldn’t celebrate it with the fans. But they were all the extras for me.

While Gini’s next destination appears to be a club on the continent, he has no hesitation in saying that Liverpool will forever have a special place in his heart.

“The feeling I have, the feeling my family has with this club, is only good things. I hope that it would be possible that I come back to watch a game and support Liverpool because I will be a Liverpool supporter for life.”