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Football

20th Jan 2021

Dejan Lovren claims Jurgen Klopp told him: “We miss you”

Former Liverpool centre-back Dejan Lovren has claimed Jurgen Klopp told him Liverpool are missing him this season amid a defensive injury crisis

Reuben Pinder

Got a feeling Liverpool fans might disagree

Dejan Lovren appears to have misread a polite text message from Jurgen Klopp as an admission of regret to selling him.

The defender left Liverpool last summer for Zenit St Petersburg after six years at Anfield, during which time he won the Premier League and the Champions League, though coincidentally both trophies came after the club had signed an upgrade on his position in the form of Virgil Van Dijk.

But Liverpool are currently battling through a long term injury crisis at centre-back, with Van Dijk ruled out with a torn ACL, Joe Gomez also sidelined with injury and Joel Matip seemingly incapable of staying fit for longer than three weeks.

So does Lovren regret leaving Liverpool, given the injuries that would have afforded him more playing time this season? Apparently not.

“No, I don’t regret [leaving],” he told Russian media outlet Sport Express.

“My decision in the summer was firm – to leave Liverpool, and I do not look back.

“I got upset last season when I didn’t play, but now everything is different.

“I think Liverpool miss me more than I miss them and Jurgen Klopp knows this, because we communicate. He wrote recently: ‘We miss you.’

“I spoke with Jurgen [after I left], but I will not disclose details. Jurgen said only good things and wished him luck.”

Jurgen Klopp has insisted Liverpool won’t be looking to buy a centre-back in the current transfer window, so it’s unlikely he’s missing Lovren too much on the pitch.

But in all seriousness, the Croatian was clearly very loved around the club, as demonstrated by this touching letter Jordan Henderson sent him when he left a few months ago.