Celta Vigo striker Iago Aspas has pointed to Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge‘s exceptional form as the reason behind his failed stint at Liverpool during the 2013/14 season.
The 29-year-old has been in fantastic form this campaign for Celta, scoring 15 goals in 25 league games for Eduardo Berizzo’s men.
However, the forward – who recently earned a first cap for Spain and netted on his debut against England – has not always had it easy and many remember him for his spell in the Premier League.
Aspas was snapped up by Brendan Rodgers in the summer of 2013 at Liverpool, but lasted just a season at Anfield which yielded one goal.
The forward struggled to get into the team with Rodgers trusting the famous ‘SAS’ partnership, and Aspas admits Sturridge and Suarez were simply too good for him to dislodge.
“It is always difficult to leave your home,” Aspas told Sky Sports. “It’s not just the club that you love, I also have my family here, my friends, but it was a very good opportunity for me. I wanted to have the experience of playing in another league, especially in the Premier League. To be able to do it in Liverpool, a historic club in Europe, was something incredible.
“Despite what people may think, it was a very enriching experience for me. In England and then in Seville I grew as a
professional and a person. My relationship with Rodgers was normal between a coach and his player. I did not play much that year, but you must remember that I met Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge at the highest level. Suarez is a spectacular striker.
“I would not have stayed because I wanted to play as many minutes as possible and there I did not have them, not when Suarez was playing like that. Language? I learned something, not much, but football is a universal language.”
Aspas spent a season at Sevilla on loan after leaving Liverpool, before returning to Celta Vigo on a permanent basis.v
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