‘ To be a Scouser
is an honour.
It’s probably
one of the best
things you
can be’
T-shirt by Louis Vuitton,
£1,100. louisvuitton.comYou play chess.
Sometimes. Probably not as much as people
think I do.
You played Magnus Carlsen. He’s probably
the greatest chess player of all time.
Yeah, so if you get that opportunity you’re not
going to turn it down, are you?
But you lost.
Yeah. I lost.
Did that defeat hurt you? Presumably not?
No, no. It’s not like I play on a daily basis.
It was more of a hobby growing up when the
weather was bad.
What was the last film you saw?
Bad Boys.
The last book you read?
James Milner’s.
Who’s your funniest teammate?
Robbo [left-back Andy Robertson].
Who has the most trouble with
your accent?
I’d probably say Takumi [Minamino]. He didn’t
speak a lot of English when he first came, but
he is probably the fastest learner I’ve ever seen
for someone learning a language.
Who’s the cleverest squad member?
I’d back James Milner. Very intelligent guy.
Who’s the worst dressed?
I wouldn’t say anyone dresses badly, there are
just people... There are styles I know I wouldn’t
be able to pull off like Divock [Origi]. I know if
I put it on I wouldn’t look good at all. But that
doesn’t make him a bad dresser. It just makes
me not suited to his style.
You’re still living at home with your
mother. How long is that going to last?
As long as it needs to. I’ve always enjoyed
having people around me that I like and I love,
so to have family around me all the time is
important. I’ve always enjoyed it.
What does being a Scouser mean to you?
I think it’s an honour, really. It’s probably
one of the best things you can be. Everyone’s
got the same beliefs, the same drive to succeed,
the same hard-work ethic, the tenacity. The
passion in what they believe in is a massive
thing in this city.
Would you read the Sun? [An article
printed in the newspaper after the 1989
Hillsborough disaster, under the headline
“The Truth”, prompted a boycott of the
tabloid throughout Merseyside.]
No.
Do you think Liverpool’s thing with the
Sun will go on forever?
It’s hard for me to comment on that. The events
that took place [the Hillsborough tragedy] were
probably about a decade before I was born. So,
I’m still trying to learn about what happened.
So, I feel as though I know I’ve got obligations
to stand for things. Obviously, I’ve got beliefs,
but I wouldn’t say I’m educated enough in that
sense to be giving outright comments. I stillwant to know more. It’s not taking a political
stance on it, it’s about me trying to learn as much
as I can about what happened.
The last footballer I interviewed was
Raheem Sterling and we talked a lot
about the whole race issue. Have you
directly experienced racism in either in
your life or in your football?
Not directly to me, no. The only time was the
Bulgarians [Bulgaria vs England last October].
But you’ve never had that, either in a
football ground or outside one?
No. But I feel as though the racism comes from
a lack of education, educating people to under-
stand that every person is the same, no matter
what colour of skin, what gender. Discrimination
is not acceptable in any form, because every-
one’s equal and everyone deserves an equal
opportunity to do what they want. In terms
of football, why shouldn’t someone be able to
go on a football pitch and express themselves
because they’re a different colour to someone
else and people feel as though that’s a problem?
It’s beyond crazy for me.
Messi or Ronaldo?
Messi for me.
Shankly or Paisley?
Shankly.
The other thing Raheem said is that he
hated playing at Burnley. Do they have
the worst changing rooms for an away
team in the Premier League?
Yeah. Crystal Palace were tight but they’ve had
them redone, so it’s not too bad any more. But,
yeah, Turf Moor is the worst for the chang-
ing rooms.
Excellent, long may it stay that way.
Favourite other team? Have you got a
Scottish team?
Growing up I was Celtic, but now, because
of the connection [Steven Gerrard managing
Rangers], I’m probably neutral up there now.
But I’d say my favourite other team would be
Barça. I feel as though they’ve got kind of the
same values and beliefs as Liverpool.
Can you imagine yourself playing your
whole career at Liverpool?
Yeah, I can imagine that.
But would you fancy playing in Spain
or Germany?
It’s not something I’ve ever really thought
about. I’ve always loved Liverpool. I’ve always
supported them. I’ve always played for them.
So, I’ve never had that reason to think about it.
Yeah, still now, I wouldn’t sit there in my room
and daydream about playing somewhere else.
Right now, I’m a Liverpool player. I love the club
more than anything. I love everything about it.
I love the fans, the people. I love the city. So,
no, why would I think about that?TO WATCH THIS INTERVIEW AND OTHERS BY
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194 GQ.CO.UK APRIL 2020