Pepe

Woke up in the morning, grab my gadget, down to the twitter's timeline and found this article http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/liverpool-fc-pepe-reina-set-7568942

Here we go! The time has come now for us to say goodbye to the man who regularly stand between our posts since 2005. The man who possibly spend his peak of his career with Liverpool FC. The man who stick with the club in good times and bad times. The man who remain loyal while his fellow countryman "you-know-who" didn't. The man who has been Liverpool's captain in some matches. The man who won three consecutive EPL's Golden Glove Award from season 2005/2006 until 2007/2008. The man who was awarded Liverpool's Player of The Season 2009/2010 by Kopites. The man who once considered as the 3rd best goalkeeper in the world after Gianluigi Buffon and Iker Casillas. Jose Manuel 'Pepe' Reina Paez who just couple of years ago valued for 25 million pounds - a huge value for a goalkeeper - has now agreed by Liverpool FC to be signed by FC Bayern Muenchen for 2 million pounds only....

Things were not the same again for Reina since Rafael Benitez been sacked as a Liverpool's manager in 2010. His brilliant performances has gone along with Benitez departure as we can see in this graph below:

Opinions said that his Spanish connection with Benitez's goalkeeper coach Jose Ochotorena and Xavi Valero has the biggest impact in his peak performance during his Liverpool's career. But I don't think the coach was the only factor. Many things have changed in the club after Benitez and some of these could be the other factors but I'm here not to dig it. I'm just sorry he clearly said goodbye to us in his letter http://pepereina25.com/en/2013/07/29/carta-de-despedida-para-los-aficionados-del-liverpool-gracias-por-todo-os-vere-pronto/ when he was loaned out to Napoli last season. He wrote how happy he was to work again with Benitez (and Valero of course) - whom he prefer as the best manager he worked with - in Napoli.

I put myself in Brendan Rodgers's shoes and it is understandable if Brendan reads unhappy in this article http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/transfer-news-pepe-reina-has-written-goodbye-letter-to-liverpool-taking-brendan-rodgers-by-surprise-9159461.html. Wasn't surprising me when Brendan never even let Reina sit on the bench - let alone on the pitch - for all the pre-season 2014/2015 games in USA despite Reina was in the squad.

I feel sorry that Reina have to leave the club this way. He leaves without a chance to play his last game in front of the Kop. There won't be a farewell game for him in Anfield. He truly deserves more for what he has done for the club for years.

But well, life goes on. We live at the present and for the future. Brendan is building his team and I believe Liverpool FC have a bright future upcoming with him on the drive-seat, whoever the players he works with. Unfortunately Reina is not in Brendan's plan but he still arguably is our best goalie since Ray Clemence.

Reina himself stated in his letter that "None of this will change my feelings for the club or the people in any way" and "My children consider Liverpool to be their home and hopefully their love for the city and also for the club will only grow while we are away". For sure he'll remain to be Spanish-Scouser. Thank you for everything Pepe, hope you'll have a glorious time in the future. YNWA!