‘Really strange’: Daniel Agger says there’s still one question he really wants to ask Brendan Rodgers about Liverpool
Agger has been speaking to John Aldridge on the Aldo Meets Podcast and has detailed his regret over the way things ended for him at Liverpool. Going into that a little deeper, the Dane said he just couldn’t understand what happened between he and Brendan Rodgers.
“Brendan came in and he said to me that he wanted to build a team around me and a couple of others and he really wanted me there,” Agger began.
“I said that’s good enough for me, if you really want me I will stay. But then something happened and a month after it turned around. I don’t know why. That’s one thing that if I could change, I should have gone. If I would have known what would happen I should have gone.
“That’s the strange thing [being given the vice captaincy]. I’m normally not the type who needs an explaining but at that time I felt it was really, really strange. I remember I started the first four games of the season [2013/14] and we won them all but then suddenly after the national team break I was not in favour at all. I was nowhere near. Then there was a few injuries and I got back in and I actually think I played 23 games and won 21. I’m not sure I even lost one game that season, maybe one.
“So it was a strange one. There is still something in me that really wants to know what was going on. Because I went from getting the captaincy and him saying he really wants me to being number four or five in three weeks.”
Agger waiting for Rodgers answer
If Brendan ever does decide to speak publicly about this, then we’d really love to know the answer, too.
Agger wasn’t the only long-serving player who the manager upset during the early part of his Anfield reign.
Pepe Reina was another who was pushed out seemingly before his time, while Jamie Carragher was also marginalised before possibly hanging up his boots a little prematurely.
Past that, even Steven Gerrard’s time at the club was cut short while Rodgers was at the helm. Upset over not being offered a contract he felt was appropriate, Gerrard walked.
In terms of Agger specifically, the only thing that ever really held him back was injuries. Heading into that 2013/14 season, he still should have been one of Liverpool’s starting centre-backs.
The former Denmark international had struck up an excellent partnership with Martin Skrtel over the years. Meanwhile, it would have been interesting to see him alongside new arrival and fellow left-footer Mamadou Sakho.
We did see that in glimpses, but Agger was never able to secure a spot that should have been his. If Rodgers ever does talk about all of these premature Liverpool exits, we will be there. Unfortunately, we’re not sure Dan or the others will ever truly know what went on.
