2 months ago
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Photo by Nikki Dyer - LFC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Liverpool’s new forward spoke for the first time following his decision to leave Juventus and head to the Premier League.
Liverpool’s late move for Juventus forward Federico Chiesa developed quickly, with it becoming clear the player was available at a cut-rate price heading into the final week of the summer transfer window and the Reds turning their focus to the Italian international.
It helped from the club side that the 26-year-old Chiesa is far from an unknown quality in European football. More than that, he’s a player Liverpool have been linked with and tracked in the past. And for the player, when it became clear Liverpool were interested there was no hesitation.
“Richard Hughes called me and he said, do you want to join Liverpool? and the coach called me [and] I said yes immediately,” Chiesa said of the decision he made this week. “I know the history of this club, I know what it represents. I’m so happy and I can’t wait to get started.
“I felt immediately that the people I talked to put a lot of faith and trust in me, and that’s what I wanted. So it’s really great to be here, it’s a dream come true for me to play for Liverpool and to play in the Premier League. It was an easy decision because of Liverpool and everything.”
After a difficult few years at Juventus working to get up to speed following an ACL injury and struggling to carve out an identity in the squad as managers came and went, a change of scenery and chance to head to a new club and new country has Chiesa energized.
That it’s not just any new club but Liverpool, though, is part of the appeal, with the club’s history—and the history of Anfield—part of the draw and why despite the timing being tight and the pace of the deal rapid, Chiesa didn’t have any doubts about where he wanted to play football.
“I still need to talk to my family because today was a really busy day,” he added, “but I’m grateful because my wife is here with me and she as soon as I said Liverpool she said, ‘Yes, I’m coming with you. It’s a fantastic opportunity for your career and for our family.’
“And I just want to say something that stuck to my mind, when I was about to land [in] the aeroplane, I saw Anfield and I said to my wife, ‘Put the song on, You’ll Never Walk Alone, because I want to imagine myself playing there and hearing the chant of the fans.’ It was just a fun bit.”
