Former Liverpool goalkeeper Mignolet opens up on Alisson and Anfield exit: “I had to leave”

Former Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, in an exclusive interview with Goal, has insisted that he has no issue with Alisson and he has no regrets over his departure. Mignolet left Anfield in the summer and joined Club Brugge. “I think it got to the stage where I had to leave,” he says, without a hint of bitterness. “I had been sitting on the bench for a year and a half, and with Euro 2020 coming up I knew that I needed to be playing regularly if I wanted to be part of the Belgian squad. “The more time you spend on the bench, as a No.2 goalkeeper, the harder it is to come back and play at a high level. I believe that. "Some people are able to accept being a backup, and that can work for them. But for me, I am not a character who wants to sit on the bench. I want to play, and this summer the opportunity came up to come back to Belgium and it was the right one.” Despite recent stories, which appeared in the UK media regarding his relationship with Alisson, the Belgian insists he has nothing but respect and admiration for Liverpool goalkeeper. “He’s such a talent,” he says of Alisson. “There’s nothing he needs to be taught. You know when you get those people who are just natural at what they do? That’s him. "What do they say, 'You never forget how to ride a bike'? With him, it’s goalkeeping. He picked it up naturally and he never forgot it.  “That’s what makes him special. His footwork and his temperament are first-class, and I have to say I picked up quite a lot from him when I worked with him. He’s a good guy and a great goalkeeper.” Source- Goal

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