Athletic Bilbao’s Mikel San Jose has explained his Liverpool exit.
Spain’s Mikel San Jose
Athletic Bilbao ace Mikel San Jose has told Sky Sports that leaving Liverpool was ‘hard’, but he had to play first-team football.
San Jose, now 27, joined Liverpool from Athletic Bilbao in 2007, heading to join compatriot Rafael Benitez at Anfield aged just 18.
Tipped as one for the future, San Jose made no appearances for Liverpool before being loaned back to Athletic in 2009, where he eventually penned a permanent contract.
San Jose has now racked up 300 appearances for Athletic, having become a first-team regular with the club, even featuring as they were runners-up in the 2012 Europa League final.
A Spain international who has named in the La Roja squad for Euro 2016, San Jose has become a dependable player for both club and country – and he has now spoken about his decision to leave Liverpool.
San Jose has told Sky Sports that leaving Liverpool was difficult, but having been stuck behind four centre backs in the Anfield pecking order, he felt he had to leave in order to play first-team football.
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“It was a hard decision but I never regretted it,” said San Jose. “It was good for me. The player I am now is thanks to the experience I had there. Spending two years in Liverpool, surrounded by world-class players and coaches who helped every player improve, it was very important.”
“There were four centre-backs who were magnificent – Jamie Carragher, Dani Agger, Martin Skrtel and Sami Hyypia – so it was difficult to get minutes. I knew returning home would give me more chances. At the beginning it was hard here as well, I didn’t get many opportunities, but it was a step I understood I had to take. There was no better place to take that step than back home,” he added.
Now established domestically and on the international stage, San Jose is the type of player who surely would have carved out a role at Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp, with his versatility much needed in a thin Liverpool squad right now.
Comfortable at centre back or in holding midfield, San Jose would be competition for the likes of Dejan Lovren and Jordan Henderson, offering greater squad depth at Anfield – and whilst Liverpool are unlikely to make a move to re-sign San Jose, he could have been a valuable player if given a chance on Merseyside.
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