Premier League star Sepp van den Berg was once described by former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp as a ‘big talent’.
Now, the Brentford defender eyes a return to the club to fulfil his dreams.
In 2019, when the young 18-year-old joined Klopp’s side, the German boss had huge praise for him.
“He is a big talent but a young boy and we already have a good team,” Klopp told Liverpoolfc.com. “He took the challenge, he really wanted to be part of this and I’m really happy for him.”
Things didn’t quite work out at Anfield and he ended up joining Brentford.
Now, he has admitted that he has ambitions of returning to Liverpool, as well as eyeing a spot in the Netherlands senior team.
Speaking to Dutch football news outlet Voetbal Primeur, he said: “I had a few conversations with Slot [when he arrived]. But before the preparation started, I already indicated to the club that I wanted to leave and play minutes.
“I would be lying if I said that I did not dream of returning to Liverpool one day. That is still on my mind. But for now, it was better for my career to take a different path and play a lot.
“That is what I am doing now and that allows me to develop as well as possible. After the preparation, Liverpool indicated that I had done so well that they wanted me to stay. But I did not really see that happening myself.
“It was all my choice, I am happy that I now play in the Premier League every week” he said.
Van den Berg also admitted that he had considered the possibility that if he stayed at Liverpool, he may have been called upon to replace the injured Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez at various points this season.
“I would be lying if I said that I didn’t look at that myself. That’s football, you don’t know. I did well in the preparation and I really saw myself playing for the club, but not with the credit that I now have at Brentford.
“I am now a starter who always plays as long as he is fit. At Liverpool I would have been more of a player who had to fill gaps. I would rather be that starter.
“And who knows, if I do well here for two or three years, I will return to Liverpool and be a starter there too” he admitted.
Van den Berg, 23, joined Liverpool in 2019 for a fee of £1.3million but made just four senior appearances.
He soon spent his time with the Reds out on loan with various spells at Preston North End, Schalke and Mainz before Premier League side Brentford snapped him up in a £25m deal last summer.
This season, he has started 24 out of the 25 games he’s played in for the Bees, becoming an indispensable figure in Thomas Frank‘s back line.
At international level, he admitted that he hopes to join the Oranje one day, calling it a ‘boy’s dream’ to play for your country.
