Chirivella doesn't regret Liverpool exit after taking Jurgen Klopp advice

Former Liverpool outcast Pedro Chirivella has revealed that he does not regret leaving Anfield after taking advice from Reds boss Jurgen Klopp.

Chirivella arrived on Merseyside from Valencia's youth system in 2013, spending three years in their academy before graduating into join Brendan Rodgers ' first-team setup.

But the midfielder's time at Liverpool was little short of a disaster, as the Spaniard made just 11 appearances during his five years as a member of the senior squad.

He spent most of his time at Anfield out on loan, with spells at Go Ahead Eagles, Willem II and Extremadura, mixed with just one appearance in the Premier League.

But even those loan moves did not go to plan, with the documents for his move to Extremadura failing to arrive in time to meet the window's deadline.

Did Pedro Chirivella make the right decision by leaving Liverpool? Comment below.

That meant he could not play a single game for the Spanish side, instead just training with them during non-matchdays.

When he returned to Liverpool, matters did not get much better, with an appearance in the Carabao Cup in September 2019 resulting in the Reds being fined.

Chirivella had come on for the final 27 minutes of the third round win over MK Dons, but had failed to receive the proper international clearance.

That meant that Liverpool were handed a £200,000 fine by the FA, with Chirivella going on to leave at the end of that season when his contract ran out.

His departure came despite the Reds making the offer of a new five-year contract, with Chirivella joining Ligue 1 side Nantes.

But the Spaniard has insisted that he has no regrets at leaving, having been encouraged to do so by Klopp.

"Liverpool offered to extend my contract, but my last two years had been sportingly complicated," the midfielder told sofoot.com.

"I was good when I played, but I didn't play enough for my taste and I didn't want to be loaned anymore.

"I wanted change. When Nantes came, Christian Gourcuff spoke to me. He gave me a lot of confidence.

"When I spoke to Klopp about this possibility, he told me to go for it, that Ligue 1 had great potential for the future.

"These words stayed in my head, I made that choice and today, I absolutely do not regret it."

The 24-year-old has fond memories of working under Klopp, who joined Liverpool midway through the midfielder's first season in the senior set-up.

"I remember he arrived in a week of international break. Suddenly, we were only a small group to start their physical preparation," he added.

"From the first day, he put a crazy intensity in the workouts. Everyone was in pain, we were charred in the locker room at the end of the session because they were longer and more intense.

"It went on for two or three weeks and then it got better and better. In the private sector, Klopp is a very accessible person."

Chirivella has become a key player at Nantes, starting all but one game this season with Les Canaris currently mid-table in Ligue 1.