Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was complimented by Jurgen Klopp, who also identified a pivotal event in his Liverpool career.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s brilliance was lauded by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp in the player tribute statement, but he also shared a moment that perfectly captured his time spent at Anfield.
Liverpool acquired Oxlade-Chamberlain from Arsenal in the 2017 summer transfer window. He had a sluggish start, but in January 2018 he started to play an important role in the team’s midfield. The Englishman played his two league and Champions League home matches against Manchester City when he was at his best. His goals in those contests were also incredible.
Then, in the first leg of the 2018 Champions League semifinal against AS Roma, he suffered a serious injury that kept him out for a while. Although the midfielder has shown some improvement since then, he has not been able to match his performance from 2017–18.
According to Klopp, Oxlade-Chamberlain had some positive traits and just one regret (source: Liverpool website):
“Ox is an awesome man, truly an awesome guy. Now that Ox is involved, it’s an even larger tragedy because, as is sometimes the case with athletes, he had some fantastic experiences here but, in the end, I’m very sure he’s not entirely satisfied, and I can totally see that.
“But the one instance that comes to me, which partially captures his tenure here as well as his talent, is the injury he sustained during Roma’s home game in the semifinal. Since Ox was so wonderful, I honestly had no idea how to replace him at that time.
The 29-year-old has it all as Klopp’s number eight, including the ability to turn quickly with the ball, run directly, shoot and assist goals, and run nonstop throughout games.
It was only natural that his confidence would be shaken after recovering from such severe knee injury. He briefly appeared at his peak during the 2019–20 season, but fell short of what we witnessed in 2018.
Although his tenure at Anfield may have angered Liverpool supporters, there is some rationale for why the player wasn’t good after suffering that physical setback.
Even at age 29, he can still perform admirably for any club in England or Europe. We’re hoping someone will pick him up during the summer window. The next team an Ox plays for will benefit greatly from having him back in shape.
It is safe to say that Liverpool fans would send him their best wishes wherever he goes, despite their regrets in this situation.
