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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Ed Aarons

Naby Keïta: ‘Even today, wherever I meet Liverpool fans, they show me love’

Naby Keïta warms up during Bremen's match against Wolfsburg in March.
Naby Keïta warms up during Bremen’s match against Wolfsburg in March during a frustrating first season back in Germany. Photograph: Action Press/Shutterstock

Naby Keïta’s memories are inevitably tinged with regret when he looks back on his Liverpool career. Signed from RB Leipzig for a then club-record £54m after Liverpool paid a £6m premium to ward off competition from others chasing one of Europe’s most in-demand players, the Guinea midfielder was handed Steven Gerrard’s famous No 8 shirt when he arrived at Anfield in 2018.

But despite picking up the full set of winners’ medals – from the Champions League and Club World Cup to Liverpool’s first Premier League title – Keïta will always wonder what might have been after injuries restricted him to 49 league starts in five seasons.

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