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Joe Allen has revealed that he was disappointed to discover Liverpool had accepted a transfer bid from Stoke City from a friend rather than the club itself.
The popular 26-year-old midfielder said Liverpool kept him in the dark about the negotiations with his new club and that there wasn’t even a proper chance to say goodbye after 4 years at Anfield.
Allen said: “I had a text message off a friend congratulating me about making the move when I didn’t even know it was happening at the time.
“Not knowing whether the club intend to sell you or keep you, especially when you’re trying to ask the question, is disappointing.
“To find out they accepted an offer through the press isn’t the best way of going about business, I don’t think. The communication wasn’t great but as soon as Liverpool accepted an offer I knew what their intentions were for me.
“There was no real goodbye, but I’m not the most sentimental person anyway. It’s irrelevant now because sitting here, I’ve got the move I wanted.
“Being a regular wasn’t going to happen and that’s fair enough. If you look at the quality Liverpool have got in midfield, and maybe the age of the players, I think I’d have been waiting for injuries and suspensions.
“I’m not going to be happy unless I’m on the pitch on a regular basis. I’m 26 now and the next four or five years are going to be my best. I’m really excited about this move because the ambition is there to get better.”
We’re sure many modern-day fans probably don’t care what Joe is claiming here but it is a familiar complaint many former players come out with once they’ve left the club and it’s not just the current generation. Many of the old pros also claim that they are treated better by Everton than Liverpool, despite their long association with the Reds.