Champions League: “It was just something I thought would be nice!” Wijnaldum reveals what he thinks about the competition final
What's the story?
Ahead of tonight's Champions League final against Tottenham, Gini Wijnaldum has expressed his thoughts about competing in the final. Contrary to popular opinions, the Liverpool player said that he never dreamt of playing in it.
In case you didn't know...
It will be the second time that Liverpool are in the Champions League final. Last season, they lost to winners Real Madrid. However, the Spanish side were knocked out early in the competition this season by Ajax. Tottenham beat the very same opponent to qualify for the final this season.
The heart of the matter
Speaking before the competition tonight, the Dutchman said,
“I had a dream to play at as high a level as possible when I was young, but Champions League finals? I never really had that dream."
“Now you have even children watching the Champions League final every year, they live and breathe it, but I probably never even looked at them when I was a kid."
“The only thing I wanted was to be a professional footballer and to play in the World Cup. But even that wasn’t something I really wanted; it was just something I thought would be nice!”
Although he was not quite a fan of the competition in his childhood days, Wijnaldum will surely be eager to lift the trophy with his team tonight. Liverpool missed out on the domestic title after finishing second in the Premier League, behind Manchester City.
The midfielder has made 11 appearances in the Champions League thus far, scoring twice and providing one assist. He would be expected to play a pivotal role in the midfield when he takes on Tottenham.
What's next?
Both Premier League clubs will battle it out tonight in Madrid to find out which team wins the Champions League trophy.