Christian Benteke once admitted he left Liverpool to avoid being a 'loser'. The Belgian, now 35, endured a difficult year-long stint with the Reds after a big-money move.
Benteke's Struggles at Liverpool
Benteke had thrived at Aston Villa, where he scored a goal every two matches. That convinced Liverpool, under Brendan Rodgers, to pay £32.5 million for the striker in summer 2015, making him the club's second-most expensive signing at the time.
However, the Belgium international could not replicate that form at Anfield. After Jurgen Klopp replaced Rodgers in October 2015, the new manager initially got the best out of Benteke but used him less frequently as the season progressed.
His demotion to the substitutes' bench restricted him to just 14 league starts that season. Despite scoring nine goals, it became clear Benteke's days were numbered given Klopp's tactical preferences.
Decision to Leave
Benteke completed a £27 million transfer to Crystal Palace in summer 2016 after reaching the finals of the League Cup and Europa League, losing both. The striker, now with UAE club Al-Wahda, was honest about why he left Merseyside.
He told L'Equipe in 2016: 'When Klopp came in, given the players available to him... I wasn't among his first choices. Given the way he wanted to play, perhaps there were more interesting players than me. But I'm not a child: I didn't cry, I didn't moan, even if of course I wanted to play. It was frustrating. You can't allow yourself to give up, to stay in the situation of a loser, so you try to find a solution, to be happy. I found that by coming to Crystal Palace, and I'm happy today.'
Success at Crystal Palace
After scoring eight goals in his first 13 matches for Palace, Benteke added: 'It's thanks to Alan Pardew that I came [to Crystal Palace], because he believes in me. I needed to get some playing time. I scored early, which was important.'
His impressive start included a brace in a 2-1 victory over Liverpool. He remained at Selhurst Park until 2022 and rediscovered his lethal touch in MLS with DC United, managing 25 goals in 33 matches in 2024.
The veteran forward's final MLS season saw him notch another nine goals before sealing a transfer to Al-Wahda in January 2026. Benteke has registered two goals in eight outings for his new club.
