Andrea Dossena believes his time at Liverpool improved him on and off the field
Former Liverpool player Andrea Dossena recently opened up about his challenging stint at Anfield, acknowledging his shortcomings and expressing regret over not maximizing his potential during his time with the Reds.
The former left-back, now managing Serie C side Pro Vercelli, made 31 appearances for Liverpool, with only five coming in his second season before eventually transferring to Napoli midway through the 2009/10 campaign. He also scored two goals for the Reds. Two cool ones at that. One in a 4-0 win against Real Madrid, and one in a 4-1 win against Manchester United.
Reflecting on his struggles under then-manager Rafa Benitez, Dossena candidly admitted that he believes his lack of hard work and inexperience played a significant role in his limited success with the club.
Here is what Dossena had to say in an exclusive interview with ECHO:
“In Italy we have a culture of work that is much more based on quantity, while you (in England) are very good at having an optimal quantity/quality ratio. In my opinion we lack this in order to adapt to your football because when we no longer work, as the quantity contains, the quality decreases accordingly.”
“I spoke to Benitez, I wasn’t physically well. It wasn’t his fault but I understood that I had to work on my own. But being inexperienced I didn’t do it. My fault!”
“I certainly regret not being able to give my best due to my inexperience. No regrets about joining the club though, because in any case, Liverpool helped me grow both as a man, a footballer at the time, and as a coach today.”
“My Fault!”
Despite the challenges he faced at Liverpool, Dossena expressed no regrets about joining the club. Instead, he recognized the positive impact it had on his personal and professional growth. He acknowledged that Liverpool played a crucial role in shaping him not just as a footballer during his time there but also as a man. Furthermore, the experience contributed to his development as a coach in his post-playing career.
While Dossena may have fallen out of favour with Benitez and struggled to meet the demands of English football, his retrospective assessment reveals a mature acknowledgement of his own shortcomings.
He did return to the Premier League for a second spell though, with Sunderland. Having made seven league appearances for The Black Cats, he left the club after a season as Marcos Alonso kept him out of the side for prolonged periods.
In any case, his honest reflections on his time at Liverpool deserve respect. Dossena’s openness about the challenges he faced at Liverpool indicates a humility that is often overlooked in the competitive world of professional football.
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As he continues his career in coaching, the lessons learned from his time at Liverpool may well contribute to his success in guiding future generations of players.
