One Liverpool hero is going back to where he's adored following difficulties elsewhere
General view of Anfield(Image credit: Getty Images)
Former Liverpool star Xherdan Shaqiri has sealed an emotional homecoming after a testing period following his 2021 Anfield exit.
The Swiss winger spent three seasons on Merseyside after joining the Reds from Stoke City in the summer of 2018 and was a part of the squad that won the 2019/20 Premier League, plus the Champions League 12 months earlier.
While he was largely a squad player under Jurgen Klopp, Shaqiri netted eight goals in 63 appearances before joining French side Lyon in 2021. But after playing just 16 times for the French side, Shaqiri left for Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire in 2022.
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The 32-year-old struggled to meet expectations in the US, as injuries and poor form meant he was unable to make an impact before his contract was mutually terminated earlier this month.
Shaqiri will now look to get his club career back on track with Basel, his boyhood team, where he started his career. Before his 2012 exit to Bayern Munich, Shaqiri won three Swiss Super League titles and two Swiss Cups and he will hope to again inspire a side that finished eighth in the league last season.
Xherdan Shaqiri during his Liverpool days
"It fills me with pride and I am very happy that I can return to my hometown of FCB (Basel) today," said Shaqiri. "I have had a deep connection with the club and the region since I was a child, as a fan and of course as a player.
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"I completed my football training in Basel and was then able to launch my international career. Now I want to attack again with FCB and I can hardly wait to see our fans again in the Joggeli [Basel's stadium, St Jakob-Park].”
For more than a decade Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor, with stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others. He is the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team.
