Minamino unsure of Liverpool plans: I need to play

Southampton midfielder Takumi Minamino is unsure of the plans of parent club Liverpool.

Speaking to Kyodo News, the 26-year-old acknowledged he has no guarantees over where he might be kicking-off the 2021/22 season.

Minamino said: “I am focusing on the present and what I can do now. I’m a footballer so I don’t know where I’ll be playing in six months’ time, but I want to be playing at a high level.

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“It is never nice for a player if you don’t have the game time you want to have. It’s always hard only to train and not be seen as part of the first eleven.

“It definitely helps your mentality to get a lift and get a chance to play.”

On the loan move to St Mary’s, he also stated: “It was very difficult to get a chance in that team, but that was always the challenge for me from the beginning, so I wasn’t in a negative mindset at all, even in training.

“It was just about trying to play in matches, get into the starting lineup, and figuring out what I can do to achieve those goals.

“I had a lot of things on my mind to put things into perspective.

“But yes, it didn’t take long to make a decision and tell (Liverpool) that I wanted to go.”

“It was like just packing my bags with minimum stuff and get into the car and leave…To be honest I wouldn’t want to go through that again. But, yes, maybe it was a good experience.”