When you’re playing at a club of Liverpool’s stature, making the decision to leave is sure to be one of the hardest things to do.
Jack Bearne knows all about that, having departed Anfield last year for Greenock Morton on Scotland as he sought to establish himself in senior football away from Merseyside.
In an article for The Athletic reflecting on the players who left the Reds in the summer of 2023, the 22-year-old midfielder is quoted as saying: “Liverpool’s player care department were great with me. They let me train at the academy and said I could come back and talk to anyone if I needed it, which is decent.
“Leaving a club like Liverpool is always going to be difficult. If you’re a first-team player, maybe it hurts more, but I had to get out and play games and learn how to win and fight for my living, which is what I’ve found out this year. It’s a lot different than at Liverpool.”
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Bearne was one of the academy youngsters who benefitted when Liverpool’s first team were away at the Club World Cup in 2019, making his solitary senior Reds appearance in the famously youthful line-up which exited the Carabao Cup against Aston Villa a week before Christmas.
Having turned 22 last September but not come anywhere near Jurgen Klopp’s side apart from that one game in the Midlands, he clearly felt that the time was right to test himself in men’s football rather than continuing to coast in a luxurious youth level setup.
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It was a decision vindicated by him playing 29 times for Morton last season, albeit with most of his appearances coming as a substitute, and he’s already featured in their opening two games of the 2024/25 Scottish League Cup over the past few days (Transfermarkt).
Bearne – who was given a signed shirt and advice on his future when he left Liverpool (The Athletic) – was faced with a decision that he admits was tough, but he took the plunge on saying goodbye to the Reds and it appears to be paying off for him.
We hope that he can go on to enjoy a fruitful career elsewhere and, should he ever come up against us further down the line, we’re sure he’ll be given a warm reception by the staff who remain at Anfield.
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