Napoli goalkeeper Pepe Reina claims that he is not upset with Liverpool despite the incendiary comments he made about his former club earlier this month.
"I'm not angry with Liverpool - quite the opposite. I am very grateful to them for everything they have given me," he said during an interview with Spanish radio show "El Larguero," according to ESPN. "My departure was different to what I expected, but I will always be grateful to them.
"This is the nature of football - when you are loved by a team, you really feel it, but when you go through bad moments, you are treated differently. In the end I will remember the love I felt from the fans for so many years," he added. "My time in England is where I have felt truly like a footballer and I have put my name among the best players. I'm very proud to have played almost 400 games with Liverpool.
"I'll remember the friends I made in and outside the dressing room. Trophies stay in the cabinet gathering dust, but friends are for life."
Back in late July, Reina wrote an open letter on his website regarding his transfer to Napoli.
"It is only natural that I would be disappointed that the Liverpool management agreed to loan me to Napoli without telling me first. I thought that I deserved better than that even though I understand that difficult decisions have to be taken in football," Reina wrote. "A lot has been made about me informing the club that if an offer came in from Barcelona that I would have liked them to consider it. But I had also spoken to the club about the possibility of extending my contract if the offer was not made."
"I told the manager that I wanted to play for Liverpool and that Barcelona would only become an option for me if the opportunity arrived, like the rumors said it would, as it would be a chance for me to go back home," he added. "When it didn't come, I was happy to fight for my place - so I was surprised that Liverpool decided it was in the club's interests to send me to Napoli instead."
Reina is on loan to Napoli; his rights are still owned by Liverpool. He has played with the English side since 2005.
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