After several loan spells over the last five years, the Serbian eventually left the Reds on a permanent deal to join FC Porto last season.

 

He had a fruitful loan spell with the Portuguese giants and the club were prepared to work out an agreement with the Reds to sign him on a permanent deal.

 

 

Grujic admitted that he enjoyed playing at Porto on loan and is clear that once the two clubs were prepared to do a deal he was more than happy to return to Portugal last summer.

 

He conceded that it was difficult to be on loan at different clubs constantly and he wanted to feel part of a place where he belonged, at the club who really wanted to hold on to him.

 

 

The Serbian conceded that breaking into the Liverpool team would have been a huge ask as he was competing against midfielders on who the club had spent millions.

 

Grujic told The Athletic: “I enjoyed my time at Porto and I liked the idea of coming back here.

 

 

“When the two clubs had an agreement and they told me the transfer was possible then I gave it the green light.

 

“I think it was a deal that make sense for everyone.

 

“It’s not easy when every year you are going out on loan to another club.

 

“It feels different when you are playing for a team who have actually signed you permanently.

 

“I wanted to feel like I was really at home somewhere.

 

“I thought I played some decent games for Liverpool in the cups but it’s hard to force your way into a team that good.

 

“The competition was tough. They had paid many millions for the midfielders I was up against.”

 

Grujic was on Liverpool’s books for five years but made just 16 first-team appearances for the club.