{"id":656991,"date":"2025-12-27T02:24:21","date_gmt":"2025-12-27T02:24:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/656991\/"},"modified":"2025-12-27T02:24:21","modified_gmt":"2025-12-27T02:24:21","slug":"i-blame-myself-for-failing-at-liverpool-i-regret-how-i-behaved-after-signing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/656991\/","title":{"rendered":"I blame myself for failing at Liverpool \u2013 I regret how I behaved after signing"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>One former Liverpool ace has some regrets about his short stint in Merseyside<a class=\"AuthorLink_author-link__rg5qj\" data-tmdatatrack=\"author\" data-testid=\"byline-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpoolecho.co.uk\/authors\/theo-squires\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">Theo Squires<\/strong><\/a> Liverpool FC Writer and <strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35 __className_5d9e5a\">Fasika Zelealem<\/strong> Senior Sports Reporter <\/p>\n<p>10:30, 25 Dec 2025Updated 21:55, 26 Dec 2025<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2_GettyImages-1637991363.jpg\" alt=\"VERCELLI, ITALY - AUGUST 13: Andrea Dossena Head coach of Pro Vercelli looks on prior to kick off in the Pre-Season Friendly match between Pro Vercelli and Juventus Next Gen at Stadio Silvio Piola on August 13, 2023 in Vercelli, Italy. (Photo by Jonathan Moscrop\/Getty Images)\" loading=\"eager\"  \/>The ex-Liverpool star regretted his behaviour after his Anfield arrival(Image:  Jonathan Moscrop\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Andrea Dossena previously admitted that the failure of his <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpoolecho.co.uk\/all-about\/liverpool-fc\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">Liverpool <\/a>career lies solely at his feet. The former footballer signed for the Premier League giants in 2008 in a \u00a37million deal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Joining as the replacement for John Arne Riise, who left that same summer for Roma, the Italian&#8217;s stint in Merseyside ended quicker than many expected as he left just 18 months after inking his Reds contract.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Despite making just 31 appearances in the entirety of his Liverpool career, he certainly had a moment, or two, to remember at the club. Dossena, 44, was the <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpoolecho.co.uk\/incoming\/gallery\/andrea-dossenas-liverpool-fc-career-9000431\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"unlikely scorer in wins against Real Madrid and Manchester United Link opens in a new tab.\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">unlikely scorer in wins against Real Madrid and Manchester United <\/a>in the space of just a week.<\/p>\n<p>READ MORE: <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpoolecho.co.uk\/sport\/football\/football-news\/liverpool-legend-thinks-alexander-isak-33083107\" data-tmdatatrack=\"read-more\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"33083107\" data-tmdatatrack-source=\"editorial\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Liverpool legend thinks Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz could be sold next summer<\/a>READ MORE: <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpoolecho.co.uk\/sport\/football\/football-news\/rio-ngumoha-benefits-liverpool-defeat-33082492\" data-tmdatatrack=\"read-more\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"33082492\" data-tmdatatrack-source=\"editorial\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rio Ngumoha benefits from Liverpool defeat as defender makes long-awaited injury return<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">However, he was never able to build on those moments, later revealing his lack of success at <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpoolecho.co.uk\/all-about\/anfield\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">Anfield<\/a> was because of <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpoolecho.co.uk\/sport\/football\/football-news\/its-fault-flopped-liverpool-physically-28441619\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"the lack of work he did to prepare himself Link opens in a new tab.\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">the lack of work he did to prepare himself <\/a>for just how strenuous English football is.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Speaking to the <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpoolecho.co.uk\/sport\/football\/football-news\/its-fault-flopped-liverpool-physically-28441619\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"ECHOLink opens in a new tab.\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">ECHO<\/a> last year, he said: &#8220;For a young boy having his first experience abroad, it was certainly not easy. The <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpoolecho.co.uk\/all-about\/barclays-premier-league\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">Premier League<\/a> is very different from the Serie A and, unfortunately for us Italians, much more beautiful!<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;In Italy we have a culture of work that is much more based on quantity, while you (in England) are very good at having an optimal quantity\/quality ratio. In my opinion we lack this in order to adapt to your football because when we no longer work, as the quantity contains, the quality decreases accordingly.<\/p>\n<p>Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package<\/p>\n<p>This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpoolecho.co.uk\/affiliates\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Learn more<\/a><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1755446233_253_0_Sky-Factbox.jpg\" alt=\"Content Image\" fetchpriority=\"auto\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\u00a349<\/p>\n<p>\u00a335<\/p>\n<p>Sky<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"AffiliateContent_content-buy-btn__xWiVO buy-btn\" aria-label=\"Buy button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.awin1.com\/cread.php?awinmid=11005&amp;awinaffid=213635&amp;campaign=&amp;clickref=Regionals-FootballLondon&amp;ued=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sky.com%2Fdeals&amp;platform=pl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\">Get Sky Sports here<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Sky has slashed the price of its <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.awin1.com\/cread.php?awinmid=11005&amp;awinaffid=213635&amp;campaign=&amp;clickref=Regionals-FootballLondon&amp;ued=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sky.com%2Fdeals&amp;platform=pl\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">Essential TV and Sky Sports<\/a> bundle for the 2025\/26 season, saving members \u00a3336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games this season, an increase of up to 100 more.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0_GettyImages-85424924.jpg\" alt=\"Andrea Dossena celebrating \" loading=\"lazy\"  \/>Andrea Dossena scored against Real Madrid and Manchester United in the space of a week(Image: John Peters\/Manchester United via Getty Images)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;At least this was my problem in my case. I came from a culture of a lot of weekly work and in Liverpool we played every three days and we never trained. I would have had to train in my personal time so that at the time of my employment, I could have been at my 100%.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">It was <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpoolecho.co.uk\/all-about\/rafa-benitez\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">Rafa Benitez<\/a> who brought Dossena to Anfield and the former defender absolved the ex-Reds boss for his own failure, admitting he regretted his behaviour after earning his transfer to Liverpool. &#8220;I spoke to Benitez, I wasn&#8217;t physically well. It wasn&#8217;t his fault but I understood that I had to work on my own,&#8221; Dossena added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;But being inexperienced I didn&#8217;t do it. My fault! If I went back instead of passively accepting it, I would behave differently. Now with the experience I certainly have in terms of daily work, I would make other choices.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2_1856349.jpg\" alt=\"Andrea Dossena and Philipp Degen are unveiled by Rafael Benitez at Melwood, Thursday July 10, 2008\" loading=\"lazy\"  \/>The Italian admitted he didn&#8217;t work hard enough to succeed at Liverpool(Image: PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;When I left, I wanted to return to Italy because, from speaking with Marcello Lippi (Italy manager), the best way to take my chances of earning a place in Italy&#8217;s squad for South Africa (2010 World Cup) was to return to Italy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;I certainly regret not being able to give my best due to my inexperience. No regrets about joining the club though, because in any case, Liverpool helped me grow both as a man, a footballer at the time, and as a coach today.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">After retiring from football in 2017, Dossena made the move into management two years later with Crema. He&#8217;s since managed exclusively in Italy at Ravenna, Renate, Pro Vercelli and most recently at SPAL.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"One former Liverpool ace has some regrets about his short stint in MerseysideTheo Squires Liverpool FC Writer and&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":656992,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8815],"tags":[748,393,41370,4884,179,763,160555,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-656991","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-liverpool","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-england","10":"tag-football-blog","11":"tag-great-britain","12":"tag-liverpool","13":"tag-liverpool-fc","14":"tag-rafa-benitez","15":"tag-uk","16":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115789160001282851","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/656991","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=656991"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/656991\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/656992"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=656991"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=656991"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=656991"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}