Long-time Liverpool team goalkeeper wrote an emotional farewell to the club's fans after moving to Bayern Munich in Germany.
The Spaniard moves to the Bundesliga for 2 million euros, after spending a year at former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez's Napoli. The letter was titled "Once a Red, Always a Red":
Last year around the same time, after moving to Napoli, I wrote a farewell letter to Liverpool and its fans. Some people asked why I did that, as I was only on loan for a season and was supposed to return after twelve months, but the reality was that I already knew at that time that my time at Anfield had ended. Liverpool acquired Simon Mignolet as the new first goalkeeper and allowed me to move on a loan basis, so I wanted to take the opportunity to thank and bid farewell, because I knew I wouldn't be coming back.
I believe my departure confirmation is somewhat newsworthy and I want to take the opportunity to thank everyone at Liverpool club - every single one - for everything they did for me during these years. The last time, some of my words were misunderstood and taken out of context, but I never intended to leave Liverpool in any other way than with good intentions, so I hope everything is clear now.
I am very happy that I was able to spend so many years, in my opinion, at one of the best football clubs in the world. It was an honor and a privilege. The memories I have of Anfield, my teammates, the fans, and the people of Liverpool will stay with me forever. I am disappointed to leave, but only because I was very happy at the club, saying goodbye to something extraordinary is always difficult. I will always be thankful for having played for Liverpool, and my time at the club was always coming to an end, so we part ways without any hard feelings.
Now, all I can do is wait for a new adventure at Bayern Munich and meeting Pep Guardiola, who was my first captain at Barcelona. I hope to enjoy being with them as much as I enjoyed being with Liverpool, and once again, I am happy to move from one great club to another. Someday soon, I will return to Anfield, but this time only as a fan, not a player, and I hope that when I return, Liverpool will be fighting for the biggest trophies, as they should and always have.
The last thing I have to do is express my gratitude to everyone who supported me in any way since 2005 when I arrived in Liverpool - to all the coaches who trained me, all the players I shared the pitch with, all the staff who helped me in many ways, and to every single fan who provided the support that others can only dream of. I consider myself a Liverpudlian and will be one for a lifetime.
You'll Never Walk Alone,
Pepe.
