Pepe Reina is resigned to the fact he will never pull on the Liverpool shirt again and a trace of bitterness lingers about the nature of his exit from Anfield but the popular goalkeeper is thriving again in Italy. Reunited with Rafa Benitez, Reina has been key in their impressive start to the campaign and last weekend became the first goalkeeper to ever save a Mario Balotelli penalty as Napoli won in the San Siro for the first time in 27 years. It has helped convince Reina that some good may come from the ignominy of being forced out of Liverpool while on holiday and despite finishing last season with seven clean sheets in 10 Barclays Premier League games. 'It did come as a surprise,' said Reina, who has three years left on his Anfield deal. 'It was the club [Liverpool] who made the move. I was on my holidays and nobody told me anything. Suddenly Napoli called and said they were agreeing terms with Liverpool and Liverpool just rang me two days later and said the same. They probably had their own reasons.' It all happened quickly and the 31-year-old signed on loan for one season. Benitez will work on him to make it permanent, but accepts there will be competition, possibly from Barcelona, who expect Victor Valdes to leave when his contract expires next year. Reina is unsure what will unfold but he cannot see a return to Merseyside. 'No,' he said, shaking his head. 'At the moment it's difficult to think about being a Liverpool player next year. They have a young goalkeeper in Simon Mignolet and the manager prefers him to me. 'That's the reason why I'm here and he will be at the club next year as well. There's no reason to think I'll be a Liverpool player from now on but we'll see where the future takes us. It's been a good move so far and I don't regret what happened. I would have preferred to say goodbye in a different way.' Oddly, the loan move came six months after Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers assured him he was No 1. 'His best years are in front of him, not behind him,' said Rodgers, in December. 'He is working harder than ever, he has lost weight, he looks fresh, he looks bright, he is doing extra work and it is a great step forward to him and his commitment in terms of him staying at Liverpool.' On Wednesday, at Napoli's Castel Volturno training base, he was recovering from a training run in the Mediterranean sun, the morning after a 1-1 draw at home to Sassoulo. 'I want to enjoy this year,' said Reina. 'It is such an important one for me with the World Cup around the corner and returning to the top flight, playing in the Champions League and fighting for the title, is something I have missed in the last two or three years. I'm happy to be back at this level. I never expected it but it's been a great decision. I feel invigorated by the move. 'Mentally, I'm fresher, I have more hunger. It is not like before I wasn't, but a change can be good for your mind. You have to show the people even more and you have to be ready. The tactics and the managerial skills of Rafa are getting the best from me and that's one more reason.' Napoli fans have embraced the Spanish goalkeeper and there is tangible excitement in the city that this may be a special year as they target their first Serie A title since 1990 and the days when Diego Maradona ruled the Stadio San Paolo. 'It's been a magnificent welcome,' said Reina. 'It's been brilliant. My family have adapted well to Napoli. The kids in the school are happy and my wife is making some friends. It is very similar to Liverpool. 'It is a humble city and very, very passionate about the team. It is almost a religion, like in Liverpool. That's always brilliant for the players. It is a positive pressure. It is a healthy club, that's for sure. 'Along with Borussia Dortmund it is probably the healthiest club in Europe. The squad is being built little by little with room to improve but it is going the right way and everything is good.' His brilliant save from Balotelli (his first miss in 27 penalties) preserved a 2-1 win at AC Milan and is evidence of his positive mood. 'Just lucky it wasn't right in the corner,' smiled Reina, but he has a knack. He saved seven out of nine conceded by Villarreal in the season before his move to Liverpool. 'It goes in waves,' he added. 'There was a time at Liverpool for about two years when I couldn't even smell it. When you're on fire you're on fire and when you're not you're not. If there's a secret, I'll keep it to myself.' Reina will be in London next week when Napoli take on Arsenal, another club linked with him in the past. 'That happened in 2010,' he said. 'Since then, nothing has been going on, no direct contact with me or my agent. 'He has given the opportunity to Szczesny and Fabianski to prove themselves once again. I have a lot of respect for that club and they have great goalkeepers right now. All I can say is that it happened once and never again. 'But it is a great feeling to be going back to England to play at Champions League level. 'It is the famous group of death but we have started with a win. Arsenal are a really tough opponent at home but we have a little bit of confidence. Source:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2435679/PEPE-REINA-My-Liverpool-days-Ill-back.html
Well reina is right. minoglet is a good honest keeper. potentially top class but in terms of ball playing he's average. reina wont regret leaving lfc one tiny bit IMO. He's world class and anyone daring to say he's past it in my opinion should be viewed with complete scorn
Feel bad for Reina. A long servant to the club, up there with Gerrard and Carragher. Yet we toss him aside, despite being one of the best keepers in the league.
But Reina was also going to leave. it was fully believed that he would move to Barcelona, so we bought in Mignolet. But Barca then pulled out and we were stuck. Mignolet was an expensive signing, Reina was on high wages, only one can play.
As much as I have respect for Reina and think he did a fantastic job for us his time at the club has come to an end. There's no big conspiracy Rodgers just wanted a new keeper and that keeper has come in and done a fantastic job. Mingolet will be our keeper for years to come, we should look back and remember Reina as a great keeper for us but he is now part of the clubs history and Mingolet is the future. Rodgers decision to drop Reina and bring in Mingolet should be applauded a lot of managers wouldn't have had the stones to do that.
Mignolet and Reina should be merged. Their combined qualities would create one of the best keepers there is. Mig is one hell of a shot stopper and his reactions sublime, but I question his foot work, his anticipation, and his distribution. But he's young, and those attributes can be learned
The problem came when he came out and said he'd be interested ina move to Barcelona following Valdes saying he was going to leave. This meant from a clubs point of view, if Barcelona came in for him, which a lot of people thought they would, it would leave us with a massive problem of not having a replacement keeper already lined up and unable to turn it down in case of really unsettling Reina. This meant we needed to go buy a replacement and possibly do it a year early in case targets weren't available next year and we'd have to pay even more with other clubs knowing we were desperate for a new keeper. Reina was always going to leave in a year or 2 and it's been done in the best way for the club, get his replacement and then sell him next year, but not the best way for the player who is going out on a bit of a sour note.
Barcelona put it out they were keeping Valdes before we were linked with Mignolet and if Reina's wish to finish his career at Barcelona, and our need to get a replacement before that happened meant we rushed the new signing, the way the club went behind his back to Napoli was just wrong. Yes we needed Mignolet while he was still available, but for all that Reina has given us the club showed disloyalty in this situation and I'm surprised that some can overlook that simply because they feel happy with the new goalie. Mignolet could learn a lot from Reina. It's generally accepted that keepers use of feet:hands ratio is 7:1 - and while Mig is great with his hands his foot play is nowhere near Reina's level. I really don't like players leaving in this way and it can be avoided. The club were wrong.
Short term yes, it would have been nicer to keep Reina happy and let him leave on good terms, but in the long run, what happens if we had kept him, next year Barca came in and bid £8mil for him? we'd have to accept knowing he wants to leave, this leaves us in a situation where we need a keeper, everyone knows it, our first choice may not be available anymore and we end up paying out twice as much for someone. I like to think the club took a long term view and I'm sure Reina isn't actually too fussed that he now gets to go live in a lovely part of Italy, play for Rafa and play in the Champ league before possibly heading back to Barcelona next year.
I agree with all of this ....but .... you don't ever under any circumstances go behind the player's back - it shows a complete lack of integrity.
Complete scorn? Dearey me He has the ability but if the will isnt there........... Ming has been superb for us this season btw BR thought we could do better, end of
Maybe BR felt we needed a different type of keeper? Migs is better in the air so helps at set-pieces. Reina is obviously better on the ground. I don't think there is much between them when it comes to shot stopping.
Think the minute Valdes came out with the fact he will be gone after this year and Reina got upset he didn't go this year, BR shipped him on loan and next year Reina will be in the sticks at barca. Writing was on the wall for me.
I think Ming outdoes him for shot stopping Ive just felt Reinas heart not been in it with us for a while and think that was clear to see sometimes I think BR made the right call here, he just thought we could do better and we have imo
I've always liked Reina, quality keeper and top pro. However, he would have gone at a moment's notice if his dream move had come about, and that would have dropped us right in it. So, we got our replacement in early and from then on Mig was always going to be the number one because he's the man for the future. Despite what Pepe says, I don't believe he'd have been happy parked on his bum so the move was actually best for him. Neither do I care too much about this "behind his back" talk, tbh -because I'm fairly sure both clubs and players are at it all the time. I really think players talk too much.
Yeah I agree Who knows also if Reina refused the move to Arsenal in 10, some fans say he showed us loyalty. Knowing Arsenal they didnt offer our asking price And I dont think he was the same keeper after then ........
Reina wanted to move, Mignolet was available. What is the problem? I do believe as brilliant as Pepe has been for us, and as much as I loved him while he was here, he is being very hypocritical in preaching about 'loyalty' when he has stated that he would leave if Barca came calling. A club cannot be run in this way. We have to look after our own interests and not those of any one player. Not to mention the fact that his form has gradually been dipping over the last 3 years. One very obvious thing that people haven't really mentioned is that Mignolet does seem to be a better keeper than Reina. Surely it isn't 'disloyal' to replace players with better players, just the way of football. If Reina was playing instead of Mignolet this season I don't think we'd have clung on to those first three 1-0 wins in the way we did.
I'm sad he left the way he did... but think its best for everyone involved. He had become "settled" and wasn't playing like he could. Sounds like "good Pepe" is back... or maybe its the rafa effect... some players just played better for rafa: Biscan. Smicer. Torres... took rafa to get them to perform. We've lost a complacent, if well-loved pepe but we've got a fantastic new Minnie. Minnie has been better than last few years of pepe. Pepe is back to his best and title hunting in Italy... everyone wins... except for the people who lose.
