Wijnaldum ‘fights back tears’ at end of Liverpool ‘story’
Georginio Wijnaldum admits he was “fighting back tears” in a heartfelt message to Liverpool fans while confirming the 2-0 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday was his final game for the club.
Wijnaldum has been linked with an Anfield exit for the whole season, with his contract set to expire next month.
The Dutch international has said he was keen to stay with Liverpool but it’s thought he wanted a longer deal the Reds hierarchy were unwilling to stretch to.
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Jurgen Klopp admitted before the game that it would be Wijnaldum’s last appearance in a Liverpool shirt and the 30-year-old was given a guard of honour and captained the side.
And the midfielder took to social media after Liverpool had confirmed their place in the Champions League next season in a long message to the Reds supporters.
It read: “It’s really emotional for me right now, I’m very happy that we managed to get the third place and secure Champions League football for the club next season.
“On the other hand I’m fighting back the tears, the people in Liverpool have showed me so much love in the last five years. It’s very hard to say goodbye.
“The fans singing my name, the prizes we won, I will never forget the amazing things we achieved with this fantastic club. We shared unforgettable moments together, no one can ever take that from us.
“I would have loved to remain a Liverpool player for many more years, but unfortunately things went different. I have to start a new adventure.”
Wijnaldum also refused to drop any hints as to where he will be heading next, with Barcelona the club that have been most strongly linked with his signature.
“I didn’t sign somewhere else, everyone knows that in football everything can happen,” he added. “The situation right now is that as of July 1st, I’m not a Liverpool player anymore. We will see what I will do in the next couple of weeks. I will rest a little bit and then go to the national team.
“I will have a look at my story and how everything went. The fans deserve to know the story behind it.”