Ox sipping truth: "The longer I play, the more I realise you're just entity in grand scheme of business"

Maturity. The period of life when you reach the perspective from which many things look much clearer. In hindsight, looking at the six years he spent at Anfield, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain spoke to The Athletic about various topics, but especially about that bit sad and low-profile end a few months ago.

Ox now plays for the Turkish giants Besiktas and is happy with his life in Istanbul. However, the days he spent with the Reds will stay forever in his memory for all the good reasons.

L'pool say farewell to a quartet of aces

Or a few bitter ones also...

"The longer I play the game, the more I realise you're just an entity in the grand scheme of a business, really," he told The Athletic before adding: "There will be many more after us, and there were many more before, people who have had great experiences. I had great, great times at Liverpool. I couldn't say anything bad about my time there. I wouldn't even say it ended badly. At the end of the day, the club is bigger than any one player. Sometimes, there's bigger fish to fry."

He spent the final months of his Liverpool career in the wilderness, out of favour. The 30-year-old had a good relationship with Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp but was surprised by how late it was confirmed he was not being kept on.

"You just… expect certain things to be told - whether it's good, bad, whatever, that's how the game goes. The lack of communication was… a bit surprising.

"It was never said," he says. "I obviously got the picture (laughs). I got told before they released the statement (three days before that Villa game): 'Just so you know, we're putting this out about you, Milly, Bobby and Naby leaving'. And I was like, 'Oh, OK. Thanks'. But there was nothing official at any point before. It was just… the silence was enough to know what the situation was."

"We (he and Klopp) had a good relationship. There was never any falling-out or anything like that. I understand as a manager, it's not easy to navigate every player's needs, but when I was playing, I definitely enjoyed him a lot more than when I wasn't even on the bench (laughs). But that's how it goes."

After spending a couple of months away from the Scousers and the Premier League, Oxlade-Chamberlain more than accepts Liverpool's decision to move him on. He enthuses about Dominik Szoboszlai, excelling in the advanced-midfield role Oxlade-Chamberlain never quite made his own at Anfield.

"And Trent is always telling me how good he is, telling me he's got a better shot than me. Alexis Mac Allister, too, you can see his quality. A different type of No. 6 to Fabinho, but it's the way the team has been evolving the last couple of years with Thiago, Harvey Elliott, and Curtis Jones. It's a different style from when I first went there when it was less possession-based and more chaos. Really good," concluded he.

PREMIER LEAGUE - MATCHDAY 9

Saturday

14.30: (1.37) Liverpool (5.60) Everton (8.50)

17.00: (2.50) Bournemouth (3.45) Wolverhampton (2.95)

17.00: (1.90) Brentford (3.50) Burnley (4.20)

17.00: (1.45) Man.City (4.60) Brighton (6.75)

17.00: (1.50) Newcastle (4.30) Crystal Palace (7.75)

17.00: (1.70) Nott.Forest (3.60) Luton (5.40)

19.30: (3.10) Chelsea (3.50) Arsenal (2.40)

22.00: (7.50) Sheffield Utd (4.60) Man.Utd. (1.42)

Sunday

18.30: (1.95) Aston Villa (3.70) West Ham (4.10)

Monday

22.00: (1.55) Tottenham (4.20) Fulham (5.90)

***odds are subject to change***