Donis Avdijaj has described snubbing Liverpool as the “biggest mistake” he has made in his career.
The former Bundesliga genius was in vogue after an explosive start with Schalke’s youth ranks. After joining the Miners in 2011, Avdijaj scored a whopping 76 goals in 77 games for their under-17s and under-19s before moving to the senior team.
His brilliant performances at youth level caught the attention of Premier League powerhouses and Real Madrid before signing a professional contract in Gelsenkirchen. However, he lived to regret that decision after struggling to live up to the expectations that arose thanks to his prolific academy record, the Liverpool Echo reports.
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Speaking to Sport1 in 2020, Avdijaj said: “My biggest mistake, which I bitterly regret, was turning down another mega offer from Liverpool before signing the long contract with Schalke, which was a matter very close to my heart. I also had one of Real Madrid.”
The Kosovo international made just 12 appearances for Schalke’s first team over a seven-year period before leaving to join Dutch side Willem II in 2018. He moved through clubs in Turkey, Scotland, Cyprus and Switzerland without much success.
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Today, the 27-year-old has carved out a place for himself in the Austrian Bundesliga with Hartberg. The forward racked up an impressive 12 goals and six assists last season under coach Markus Schopp, who had 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 deals. The club later steadied the ship when Jurgen Klopp took over, something they hope to maintain under successor Arne Slot.
Despite a few stumbles after bursting onto the scene with uncommon skill, Avdijaj’s confidence has rarely wavered. Liverpool transfer or not, he told Sport1: “I know it’s up to me what my sporting future will be like.
“It doesn’t matter if I’ve played for one club for five years or for ten clubs in five years. In the end, for me only one thing counts: being able to play football and show what I can do.”
