Departing Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain admitted there's an element of hesitation after his 'hard' Anfield farewell.
The former Arsenal man leaves the Reds having won the Champions League, the Premier League as well as domestic and European cups. Injuries have ravaged his career on Merseyside but he has shown flashes of his quality with a number of massive contributions throughout his spell.
Oxlade-Chamberlain is one of four men moving on at the end of their contracts this summer as he follows Naby Keita and Liverpool stalwarts James Milner and Roberto Firmino in heading for the exit door in L4.
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"I still want success, I’ve had a taste of it here, they’ve been the best years ever," the 29-year-old told Mirror Football as he reveals the winning feeling under Jurgen Klopp has sparked a desire in him. "So, if by any chance, I can have another sniff of achieving anything like that again then I’d bite your hand off.
"I think I need to go and play somewhere as consistently as possible. They say you’re coming into your peak at 29, so I want to go and test myself, play consistently somewhere.
"I’m still hungry, I still feel I have a lot of games left in me and a lot of energy left in me. I don’t like to say a point to prove, but that’s always been my attitude."
This season, Oxlade-Chamberlain has been resigned to just nine Premier League appearances as his first-team importance diminished in his final year.
During Liverpool's quadruple pursuit, he played 17 times in the Reds midfield with showings in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup as well as the Champions League - where they fell short against Real Madrid.
Arriving in the north west from the capital, he penned a five-year deal and felt he had doubters to silence. The midfielder continued: "From when I went to Arsenal, I felt like that. When I went to Liverpool, that’s how I felt. When I walked through the door, I felt like I needed to do that. It’s the same again.
"To prove myself and to prove the people out there to show what I’m capable of still doing.
"The first season was the year we realised we could really achieve something special, we were winning games 4-0, 5-0, Mo [Salah] couldn’t stop scoring and Hendo gave us the belief we could win any game.
"The second season was when you saw a really big jump up when we just missed out on the league that year, by one point and that was when the team felt unstoppable."
Oxlade-Chamberlain leaves Liverpool on the back of a disappointing campaign for Klopp's side. Despite their run of results which had many writing off their prospects of European football, they secured Europa League football for next season.
It isn't the only time where he has endured tough times on Merseyside. As well as the long-term injuries, there have been difficult moments with season-ending injuries to the likes of Virgil van Dijk.
With those dark moments, there has been a stronger bond within the playing ranks, the former Southampton trainee revealed: "We had some tough times, we lost Virgil [van Dijk], Joey G (Gomez), we had to really dig in and fight for the Champions League. It’s not always been plain sailing through the success.
"That’s why it’s harder to say goodbye when you’ve been through so much together. There’s literally no bad eggs, everyone came from humble beginnings and everyone established who they are at Liverpool which helps as a team rather than anyone being individuals.
"That togetherness and connection with the fans has made us fairly close. The whole club and city realises that. But this is going to be an exciting time for me. It’s a new experience for me so there’s a bit of hesitation and a bit of uncertainty and not knowing. But it is still exciting.
"The only thing I can focus on is expecting something to come up and be ready to seize that opportunity when it comes. That’s the thing I’m focusing on, focusing on staying fit, being ready and seeing who still fancies a bit of the Ox."
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