Georginio Wijnaldum could so easily have been lining out for the other side this weekend.
Wijnaldum has been a regular fixture in Liverpool’s midfield this season and is rated so highly by manager Jurgen Klopp that the Reds boss even decided to drop club captain, Jordan Henderson, instead of Wijnaldum this weekend in order to make room for Naby Keita.
Wijnaldum performs a very specific role for Liverpool but he could have been doing that for Spurs if not for the Merseyside club’s promptness two years ago.
The Dutch midfielder has admitted that Spurs made an approach for him when he decided to leave Newcastle after their 2016 relegation to the Championship.
“I met Pochettino when I left Newcastle. I just felt Liverpool wanted to come to an agreement quickly,” Wijnaldum told the Daily Telegraph.
“Tottenham have shown over the years the quality of their players and manager.
“I see Tottenham as a team like us, wanting to play good football. They are always looking for solutions in the game and play as we do.
“That’s why people say this is a ‘big game’. In the situation we are in, they say it makes it bigger.”
Liverpool are top of the table on goal difference going into Saturday’s clash with Spurs at Wembley, having won each of their four games so far.
And the Wijnaldum insists Liverpool’s mentality is in the right place to launch a title bit this season.
“No one has to tell us what we have to do,” the 27-year-old added. “We play for Liverpool. It is always our intention to win. All the players here want to compete at the top and win.
“The manager does not have to say to us, ‘we want to win a trophy’. We do not play for Liverpool not to win.
“With respect, we are not playing for a team that is fighting relegation thinking it is impossible. We know what we can do.
“We were so close already. We have done everything to win something but the fact is it is not so easy. There are a lot of good teams who also want to win the same trophies.”
