Christian Benteke doesn’t think his Liverpool ‘failure’ was entirely his fault, and in fairness, he probably has a point.
The striker left Liverpool to join Crystal Palace for £32m a few weeks back, after we signed him for pretty much that exact fee 12 months earlier from Aston Villa.
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(Image) Playmaker undergoes medical as first deal of Liverpool’s deadline day gets done
Benteke bagged ten goals for us during his only campaign, but was mostly used as a substitute in a team that ignored his strengths.
The forward is glad to be away from the club and wants to prove himself once again.
“I’m impatient to show myself on both these levels,” he told reporters ahead of Belgium’s friendly with Spain.
“Crystal Palace is the right choice. It’s a project within which I can demonstrate my qualities. I want to play at all costs and that’s why I left Liverpool.
“I don’t think I failed there however. The coach and I didn’t have the same vision. I didn’t fit into the system that he used. I was a transfer of his predecessor.”
“Palace wasn’t the only option for me,” he said.
“I could have earned more elsewhere but I’m 25 years old now — a pivotal age. I absolutely want to show myself this season.
“Pardew knows my qualities. He knows that I had a good preparation with Liverpool and that I will not need a lot of time to be ready to play.”
Benteke’s correct for us. He was signed for his physical attributes and target-man ability, but eight Premier League matches into the season, Brendan Rodgers was sacked and Jurgen Klopp replaced him – immediately installing a frenetic, pressing style which didn’t suit Benteke whatsoever.
This is just one of those things that can happen in football, so the important thing is that we got a sizeable fee for the forward and that he’s at a club more befitting of his ability.
We wish him luck this term, just not when Crystal Palace – often our bogey team – play Liverpool.