‘I turned down Liverpool’s mega-money transfer – it’s the biggest mistake I’ve ever made’

Donis Avdijaj has described Liverpool’s snobbery as the “biggest mistake” he has made in his career.

The former Bundesliga player has been hot property after an explosive start with Schalke’s youth teams. After joining the Miners in 2011, Avdijaj netted 76 goals in 77 games for their under-17s and under-19s before breaking through to the senior team.

His stunning performances at youth level attracted the attention of Premier League powers and Real Madrid before signing a professional contract at Gelsenkirchen. However, he lived to regret the decision after struggling to live up to the expectations that came with his prolific academy record, reports the Liverpool Echo.

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Speaking to Sport1 in 2020, Avdijaj said: “My biggest mistake, which I deeply regret, was turning down another mega offer from Liverpool before signing the long-term contract with Schalke, which was a matter of hold your heart I also had one from Real Madrid.”

The Kosovo international made 12 first-team appearances for Schalke over a seven-year period before leaving to join Dutch side Willem II in 2018. He made his way through clubs in Turkey, Scotland, Cyprus and Switzerland without much trouble good luck.

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Fast forward to today and the 27-year-old has made his place in the Austrian Bundesliga with Hartberg. The forward racked up an impressive 12 goals and six assists last season under boss Markus Schopp, who previously worked alongside him at Sturm Graz.

Brendan Rodgers was in charge at Anfield when Avdijaj was first linked with Liverpool, although this is considered a tumultuous period for the club’s transfer dealings. The club later steadied the ship when Jurgen Klopp took over, which they hope to sustain under successor Arne Slot.

Despite some stumbles after taking the stage with rare skill, Avdijaj’s confidence rarely faltered. Liverpool transfer or not, he told Sport1: “I know it’s up to me what my sporting future looks like.

“It certainly doesn’t matter if I’ve played at one club for five years or have 10 clubs in five years. In the end, only one thing matters to me, and that is to be able to play football and show what I can do. “