Liverpool's Xherdan Shaqiri insists he has nothing to prove after Nevilles' criticism
Liverpool's Xherdan Shaqiri insists he has nothing to prove after Nevilles' criticism
Xherdan Shaqiri has hit back at former Manchester United pair Gary and Phil Neville and insists he has nothing to prove following his move to Liverpool.
Gary Neville branded Shaqiri “unprofessional” last season following Stoke’s relegation while brother Phil called him a “disgrace“.
“They [the Nevilles] were Manchester United players. Maybe they don’t like Liverpool. Some people like you, some people don’t like you. I don’t want to comment on what is said by people I don’t know,” Shaqiri told reporters on Liverpool’s preseason tour to the United States.
“I think I played three years already in the Premier League and I’ve proved I can play here. I can score goals and give assists. I know the league well. I have a lot of experience. I was the top scorer in the [Stoke] team with goals and assists, so I don’t have to say any more.
“I think everybody knows that [I was the best player last season]. My conscience is clear.”
Former Bayern Munich midfielder Shaqiri, 26, played in three Premier League campaigns for Stoke before this summer’s £13 million switch to Liverpool — a move Jurgen Klopp called a “no brainer“.
And after seeing Liverpool reach the Champions League final last season and finish in the top four, Shaqiri — in line for his debut against Manchester United on Saturday in the International Champions Cup — is eager to win silverware at Anfield for the first time since their League Cup success in 2012.
“Every player wants to play on the biggest stages in football. I have played for big teams. I know what it takes. I won many titles with Bayern Munich so I know how it is to be on the big stage. I am really happy to have this opportunity,” he added.
“The most important thing is to go to the last limit and to try to do the small things that will help us win titles. They were very close last season. I hope this season we can go through and improve the small things that we need. I hope that we can get it this year.
“You can see with the transfers that we want to go forward. We want to achieve something.
“You have competition all over the world, not only in football, in normal life too. Everyone fights for his place, but in the end, we have many games to play and everybody is going to play games.
“Everybody knows that a few years ago I wanted to come here but for some reasons it didn’t work out. Of course I was disappointed after. We had many discussions at the time in Germany with the club because I wanted to come here but they blocked it. Now I am finally a Liverpool player and I’m very happy to have this opportunity.”
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Xherdan Shaqiri has hit back at former Manchester United pair Gary and Phil Neville and insists he has nothing to prove following his move to Liverpool.
Gary Neville branded Shaqiri "unprofessional" last season following Stoke's relegation while brother Phil called him a "disgrace".
"They [the Nevilles] were Manchester United players. Maybe they don't like Liverpool. Some people like you, some people don't like you. I don't want to comment on what is said by people I don't know," Shaqiri told reporters on Liverpool's preseason tour to the United States.
"I think I played three years already in the Premier League and I've proved I can play here. I can score goals and give assists. I know the league well. I have a lot of experience. I was the top scorer in the [Stoke] team with goals and assists, so I don't have to say any more.
"I think everybody knows that [I was the best player last season]. My conscience is clear."
Former Bayern Munich midfielder Shaqiri, 26, played in three Premier League campaigns for Stoke before this summer's £13 million switch to Liverpool -- a move Jurgen Klopp called a "no brainer".
And after seeing Liverpool reach the Champions League final last season and finish in the top four, Shaqiri -- in line for his debut against Manchester United on Saturday in the International Champions Cup -- is eager to win silverware at Anfield for the first time since their League Cup success in 2012.
"Every player wants to play on the biggest stages in football. I have played for big teams. I know what it takes. I won many titles with Bayern Munich so I know how it is to be on the big stage. I am really happy to have this opportunity," he added.
"The most important thing is to go to the last limit and to try to do the small things that will help us win titles. They were very close last season. I hope this season we can go through and improve the small things that we need. I hope that we can get it this year.
"You can see with the transfers that we want to go forward. We want to achieve something.
"You have competition all over the world, not only in football, in normal life too. Everyone fights for his place, but in the end, we have many games to play and everybody is going to play games.
"Everybody knows that a few years ago I wanted to come here but for some reasons it didn't work out. Of course I was disappointed after. We had many discussions at the time in Germany with the club because I wanted to come here but they blocked it. Now I am finally a Liverpool player and I'm very happy to have this opportunity."
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