Ex-Liverpool star on unhappiness at Anfield - 'I was cold, fed up and alone'
Gabriel Paletta was driven away from Liverpool by loneliness and a distaste for the British climate, the former Italian international has revealed.
Previously one of the most promising youngsters in world football after bursting onto the scene with Banfield, he made a name for himself with the Argentina under-20 side. The now 38-year-old defender arrived at Anfield to great acclaim in 2006.
Paletta signed a four-year deal with the Reds and big things were expected of him. Speaking at the time, former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez said: "Paletta is very tough and he's exactly the sort of player we need who will suit The Premiership.
"When you talk about the Argentinian defenders I worked with in Valencia, Paletta is more like [Roberto] Ayala than [Mauricio] Pellegrino. If you're talking about Liverpool, he's more like [Jamie] Carragher than Sami Hyypia. This is good because we will have a balance in the style of defenders.
"He is a defender with a lot of aggression and we're sure he has a great future. He will learn a lot here, like Daniel Agger, and provide competitiveness in our defence.
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"He has attracted a lot of interest from top clubs in Argentina like River Plate and Boca Juniors. River Plate even reserved a number six shirt for him, so we had to move quickly to sign him. We're delighted to have done the deal now."
Meanwhile, Paletta was keen to get cracking as a Liverpool player. He said: "I think I'm ready for the move to England. It's every South American player's dream to play in Europe. It's impossible to turn down the opportunity when it arrives.
Gabriel Paletta (right) signed for Liverpool in 2006 (Getty Images)Who is Liverpool's worst-ever signing? Share your thoughts in the comments below
"Roberto is a proven star and compared with him I'm only an apprentice. In my opinion Ayala is a monster. A massive player and a massive winner.”
Unfortunately, it did not work out for Paletta. He made just eight appearances and scored one goal during his debut campaign - that solitary strike coming in a League Cup clash against Reading.
Speaking about the defender’s early troubles, Benitez revealed: "The language is still a problem for Gabriel, and he is having English lessons. But I think it's fair to say there is no problem with his tackling."
A loan deal to Levante at the start of his second season would have given him valuable experience, only for a move to collapse. Paletta was soon set to return to Argentina with a switch to Boca Juniors.
Speaking about his time with Liverpool back in 2014, he said: “I got fed up and went home. How could I refuse [Boca]? There was the Bombonera, the chants of ‘La Doce’, it was a dream for me.
“I’ll admit I should have been more patient but I wasn’t happy at Liverpool. I was alone. I only remember the cold. In a year, I never went out for dinner with a team-mate.”
Gabriel Paletta went on to play for AC Milan (Getty Images)Paletta stayed with Boca for three years before moves to Italian sides Parma, AC Milan and Atalanta. He moved to the Chinese Super League with Jiangsu Suning in 2018 before returning to Italy with Monza.
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The veteran helped the side to a meteoric side from the third tier to Serie A before hanging up his boots last season.
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