Heerenveen's Ejuke Explains Why He Was Not Signed By Liverpool Four Years Ago

SC Heerenveen winger Chidera Ejuke has revealed that he missed out on the chance to join Liverpool four years ago because he was not good enough as at that time.

The Gee-Lec Academy product was spotted by a Reds scout during a scouting programme in Abia State and was invited to Merseyside for further assessment but the European champions pulled out of a potential deal after he failed to impress.

"When I was just eighteen years old and still living in Nigeria, there was a scouting program on the other side of the country," Ejuke said to Voetbal International.

"There I was picked out together with three peers by a scout from England: we were allowed to have a trial at Liverpool.

"It was the first time that I left my country and then also for an internship in my dream competition."

Ejuke added : "We were warmly welcomed at Liverpool. We did an internship there for a few weeks, it went pretty well, but I probably wasn’t good enough. Liverpool was not interested and so we had to return to Nigeria.

"That was just as tough. This was the opportunity I had been dreaming about all these years and if it doesn’t work out, it’s bitter. It felt like I had let down my agent and my family.

"If I had taken that chance, it would have been a different story, but it was a good experience. That missed opportunity became a source of motivation for me, it helped me grow as a player. I had tasted Europe and now I wanted more."

Ejuke, the top dribbler in the Eredivisie for the 2019-2020 season, is being courted by a plethora of teams ahead of the summer transfer window following a breakout season that saw him score 10 goals in all competitions.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel