Gini Wijnaldum has lavished Jurgen Klopp with praise, explaining how important it is to have the faith of his manager and staff.
The midfielder is yet to provide the club with an answer in regard to the latest offering of terms, with Gini now free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with other clubs, if he so wishes.
“I think every player that plays football wants to feel confidence from their manager and I’m lucky I have it,” the ex-Newcastle man told Liverpoolfc.com. “It gives me a lot of confidence [how often I am selected] and also a good feeling because you have the feeling that you work with a manager who believes in you and will always give you chances no matter what.”
“Sometimes you work with a manager who doesn’t look at you the way the manager looks at me right now so I am lucky and I am pretty happy that I am in the position I am in right now,” Wijnaldum added. “I think it’s really important [and] for the manager also because he can pick you always.”
The comments are hardly surprising given the culture Klopp has cultivated at the club, not to mention how clearly valued the No.5 is by the former Dortmund coach.
What makes little sense is why the Dutch international would go out of his way to give a number of reasons to stay with the side – from getting all the game time he could want to a perfect relationship with the manager – if he has his heart set on leaving.
With the delay in the player’s response continuing to grow, some have taken to the logical assumption that the Dutchman has resigned himself to the eventuality of departing the club.
While quite a few of us hang on to the hope that the lack of an answer indicates serious contemplation over an equally serious career decision, some honesty, even if it’s not exactly what the fanbase wants to hear, is long overdue.