Former Liverpool defender Sepp van den Berg ‘dreams of a return’ to Anfield, despite asking to leave the club last year.
The Dutch defender moved to Brentford last summer in a deal worth up to £25m and has made 21 Premier League appearances for the Bees.
The 23-year-old made it clear that he was desperate to play regularly and was happy to leave the Reds if opportunities were limited there.
He had spent loan spells with Preston, Schalke and Mainz and it was clear that he was not going to get the game time he desired in a Liverpool shirt.
However, he admits that a return to Liverpool to be a regular starter would be a dream scenario for him.
‘Before the preparation [pre-season] started, I already indicated to the club that I wanted to leave and play minutes,’ he told Dutch publication Voetbal Primeur.
‘I would be lying if I said that I did not dream of returning to Liverpool one day. That is still on my mind.
‘But, for now, it was better for my career to take a different path and play a lot. That is what I am doing now and that allows me to develop as well as possible.
‘After the preparation, Liverpool indicated that I had done so well that they wanted me to stay. But I did not really see that happening myself.
‘It [the decision to leave] was all my choice. I am happy that I now play in the Premier League every week.’
Van den Berg was clear on his stance when Arne Slot took over last year, initially happy as he was involved in pre-season fixtures, but said he would rather move on than sit on the bench.
‘It’s been a very nice pre-season. Of course, new coach, like new era starts, fresh training, new style of play. I really like it,’ he told Sky Sports last summer.
‘For me, it’s just about game time and, at the moment, I’m getting it here. So I’m happy at the moment, but like I said, it’s still early. You never know what can happen, but for me the most important thing is playing.
‘If I can do it here, there’s no better place. It’s one of the biggest, if not the biggest, clubs in the world, so if it’s here, it’s my dream. But for me, the most important thing is playing, so I will see what happens.’
Van den Berg is currently sidelined with a knee injury picked up in a win over West Ham earlier this month, but is not expected to be out for long.
‘Sepp got a minor knee injury,’ Thomas Frank said last week. ‘It’s good news. You’re always a little bit worried with the knee, but it’s a minor one and we’re talking about weeks instead of months.
‘How many weeks, it depends on how quick he is recovering.
‘Straight after the game I was hoping it was a minor one, so I’d say it’s as positive as it can be.’
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