Benteke: I didn’t want to become a Liverpool “loser”

Belgium international forward Christian Benteke has revealed he had to leave Liverpool as he didn’t want to become a “loser”.

The Premier League side, who currently sit second in the English top-flight standings after defeating Middlesbrough 3-0 on Wednesday night, sold the striker to Crystal Palace for a reported £27m back in August.

The 26-year-old, who has 30 international caps for his country, has since scored eight goals and provided one assist in 16 appearances in all competitions for the Eagles so far this season.

Benteke, who arrived at Anfield back in July 2015 following his £32.5m switch, struggled to impress Reds boss Jurgen Klopp during the summer and admitted he was beginning to get frustrated with his lack of first-team opportunities.

He told L’Equipe, via Sky Sports, “When Klopp came in, given the players available to him… I wasn’t among his first choices.

“Given the way he wanted to play, perhaps there were more interesting players than me.

“But I’m not a child. I didn’t cry, I didn’t moan, even if of course I wanted to play. It was frustrating.

“You can’t allow yourself to give up, to stay in the situation of a loser, so you try to find a solution, to be happy.

“I found that by coming to Crystal Palace, and I’m happy today.”