Andriy Voronin has opened up on why he "couldn't cope" at Liverpool, citing his failure to understand the Scouse accent in conversations with Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher.
Voronin joined Liverpool on a free transfer back in 2007, penning a four-year deal at Anfield, but he was sold just two seasons into that agreement after struggling to adapt to the demands of English football.
The former striker, who now serves as assistant manager for the Ukraine national team, has now admitted that he never really settled on Merseyside and had issues communicating with his team-mates.
What's been said?
Asked what he remembers from his time with the Reds, Voronin told Goal and SPOX: "Scouse. I understood almost nothing, my English wasn't good anyway. When Carragher and Gerrard talked, I asked them to repeat it in English.
"Liverpool didn't suit me as a city overall, even though it has a lot of history to offer, such as the Beatles. My father is a big fan of the band.
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"When I told him I had signed with Liverpool, he started crying. I also couldn't cope with the weather and the rhythm of the games without a winter break. I was just traveling and playing, which was very exhausting."
Voronin's record at Liverpool
Voronin only managed to appear in 40 games across all competitions for Liverpool after quickly being reduced to a bit-part role in the squad under Rafael Benitez.
The Ukrainian contributed just five goals to their cause, and after a brief loan spell at Hertha, he was snapped up for a £4 million fee by Dynamo Moscow in January 2010.
Voronin's toughest opponent
Voronin came up against a number of the world's best players over the course of his career, having won 75 caps for Ukraine in addition to playing in the Champions League with Liverpool.
The 41-year-old ranks ex-Italy and Juventus captain Fabio Cannavaro and Real Madrid and Brazil legend Roberto Carlos among his most difficult opponents, but has also included Carragher after a number of intense battles against the centre-back in training at Anfield.
"Carragher, among others. I hated playing against him in training," Voronin said on the subject of the toughest defenders he's faced. "I would also include Fabio Cannavaro, a great player and a great guy.
"Playing against Roberto Carlos was a disaster. He runs so much, he has two or three hearts. After ten minutes, I said, 'Roberto, give me five minutes, please!'
"He didn't run after me, I ran after him."
