Had a new book out. Never read any of them.
In his new book be takes aim at the Liverpool fans who abuse him online and question his legacy.
My opinion is that he left for Real Madrid in less than honourable circumstances but that can be overlooked. However, you don't play for Utd and because of that I'll never be his biggest fan and I don't think he should be a club ambassador.
Some of what he says on this subject has annoyed me though...
He writes: "I’ve never been one of those guys who you’d see hanging around their former club, wearing club gear, doing nothing in particular other than just being seen there.
"Yes, a football club was once my place of work. But when I left, that contact was broken. I can’t then become a fan – a hanger-on.
"Not surprisingly, I get a huge amount of abuse from what I suspect is a minority of Liverpool fans who think that, because I played for a rival club, I shouldn’t even be a Liverpool ambassador in the first place."
"That, I’m afraid, is fan-centric nonsense. Not just that, when I trawl through my memory banks, recounting all the great moments I enjoyed with the fans and my fellow players, these opinions sting. My record at Liverpool is a good one. I won trophies there, scored goals, won two Golden Boots there and lifted the Ballon d’Or. I played for the club on two hundred and ninety seven occasions. I went in where it hurts for the club on countless more instances.
"How does playing for a rival club negate any of that? It doesn’t. To think that way is just delusional. And even worse, while fans are happy to question my credentials, you’ve got guys hanging around.
"In my daily life, I don’t shy away from going anywhere. I go to restaurants, pubs, racecourses, football grounds – I have done so for years and I’ll continue to. I can count on one hand the number of times that anyone has come up to me and given me a hard time about whatever football clubs I’ve played for, or been abusive about so-called loyalty, or challenged my views on this or that.
"In the real world it doesn’t happen. On the Internet however, it’s a total free-for-all.”
In his new book be takes aim at the Liverpool fans who abuse him online and question his legacy.
My opinion is that he left for Real Madrid in less than honourable circumstances but that can be overlooked. However, you don't play for Utd and because of that I'll never be his biggest fan and I don't think he should be a club ambassador.
Some of what he says on this subject has annoyed me though...
He writes: "I’ve never been one of those guys who you’d see hanging around their former club, wearing club gear, doing nothing in particular other than just being seen there.
"Yes, a football club was once my place of work. But when I left, that contact was broken. I can’t then become a fan – a hanger-on.
"Not surprisingly, I get a huge amount of abuse from what I suspect is a minority of Liverpool fans who think that, because I played for a rival club, I shouldn’t even be a Liverpool ambassador in the first place."
"That, I’m afraid, is fan-centric nonsense. Not just that, when I trawl through my memory banks, recounting all the great moments I enjoyed with the fans and my fellow players, these opinions sting. My record at Liverpool is a good one. I won trophies there, scored goals, won two Golden Boots there and lifted the Ballon d’Or. I played for the club on two hundred and ninety seven occasions. I went in where it hurts for the club on countless more instances.
"How does playing for a rival club negate any of that? It doesn’t. To think that way is just delusional. And even worse, while fans are happy to question my credentials, you’ve got guys hanging around.
"In my daily life, I don’t shy away from going anywhere. I go to restaurants, pubs, racecourses, football grounds – I have done so for years and I’ll continue to. I can count on one hand the number of times that anyone has come up to me and given me a hard time about whatever football clubs I’ve played for, or been abusive about so-called loyalty, or challenged my views on this or that.
"In the real world it doesn’t happen. On the Internet however, it’s a total free-for-all.”
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