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Georginio Wijnaldum confessed he had to go back on his pledge to remain at Newcastle in order to seal a dream move to Liverpool. The former Dutch international became a fan favourite at St James' Park during his sole campaign at the club in the 2015/16 season.

Despite enduring relegation to the Championship, Wijnaldum topped the club's scoring charts with 11 goals and impressed fans with his striking prowess as a midfielder. Whilst he appeared set to experience second-tier football for the first time in his career, he vowed after the Magpies' woeful campaign that he wouldn't push for a departure.

Regrettably, his pledge came before Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp came knocking and that was when Wijnaldum realised his stint with Newcastle had to reach a premature conclusion.

The midfielder - whocurrently turns out for Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Ettifaq - revealed prior to facing his former club in 2017 that he didn't push for his£25million switch to the Merseyside outfit.

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Speaking to theLiverpool Echo at the time he said: "I remember my last game for Newcastle in the pre-season when their fans were singing that they wanted me to stay. But when the opportunity came to play for a great club like Liverpool with such a great history I had to take it.

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"I hope they understand why I made that choice to go to Liverpool. When the previous season at Newcastle ended, I said publicly that I wouldn't force a move. When Liverpool came in for me I made up my mind that I wanted to come here, but I wasn't going to force it because I appreciated what Newcastle and their fans did for me."

He continued: "It's always a special game when you play against your previous club. It was only one year at Newcastle but that time there meant a lot to me. I met some great people who helped me to play good games in the Premier League and it was because of them I got the move to Liverpool."

Wijnaldum enjoyed five seasons at Liverpool and proved crucial to their Premier League and Champions League victories in back-to-back campaigns. Across 237 outings for the Reds, he found the net 22 times before departing in 2021 to join Paris Saint-Germain, though he managed only 38 matches for the French side.

The Netherlands international could be watching intently when his former sides meet in the Champions League this evening at the Parc des Princes. The Magpies currently occupy seventh position in the league phase standings and victory in Paris would secure their progression to the knockout rounds.

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