Stewart Downing has admitted he was surprised FSG parted company with Kenny Dalglish in 2012.
The ex-England international arrived at Anfield from Aston Villa but initially struggled to justify his price tag, scoring no goals and registering just two assists across 36 league games in his debut season.
Signed by Kenny Dalglish in the same summer as Jordan Henderson and Charlie Adam, Liverpool endured a mixed campaign as the team reached both domestic cup finals but finished eighth in the Premier League.
Though Downing feels the decision to subsequently replace the club legend with Brendan Rodgers was harsh, he insists he enjoyed his two-year spell with the Reds .
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"I had a great time there. It was a move I’d always wanted to do – play for a club like Liverpool. When the chance came, I jumped at it,” Downing told the Mirror .
"I was having a good time at Villa and it was a good club, but I think Liverpool is Liverpool and I wanted to make that move.”
He continued: "I was surprised when Kenny lost his job after the first season. With the money we’d spent, obviously that takes time. Jurgen Klopp took three or four years to get his team settled.
"In that one year, we’d lost a cup final, won one and finished eighth in the league. I think, overall, the league position wasn’t good enough, so that’s probably why he lost his job.
"I was surprised [when he got sacked] but it doesn’t take away any of the good memories – I had a good time there."
Part of the team that won the League Cup in 2012, Downing played all 120 minutes of the final against Cardiff City and scored from the spot in the penalty shootout.
However, after scoring seven goals and providing 12 assists across his 91 appearances for the club, the winger was eventually sold to West Ham in 2013 and briefly earned a recall to the England squad.
The former Middlesbrough talisman then returned to his boyhood club in 2015 before calling time on his career at the end of last season after a two-year stint at Blackburn Rovers.
