Xherdan Shaqiri may be “naturally-gifted”, but Peter Crouch says the Switzerland international is being frozen out at Liverpool because Jurgen Klopp cannot trust his discipline.
The former Reds striker played alongside the former Bayern Munich and Inter midfielder at Stoke.
He acknowledges that the 28-year-old boasts match-altering ability, with it no surprise to have seen him snapped up by Liverpool when Stoke slipped out of the Premier League.
Questions have, however, been asked of Shaqiri’s attitude throughout his career and Crouch says that is why he finds himself on the fringes of the fold at a Premier League title-chasing outfit.
The ex-Liverpool frontman told the Irish Independent: “Well, I wasn't surprised Liverpool took him because he's one of the most naturally gifted footballers I've played with.
“He can make a difference. My issue when he played at Stoke was that while, obviously, he could look brilliant, there were times when there was a lot of tactical ill-discipline.
“If you've got a specific role to play that involves tracking back, just going and doing your own thing doesn't really work. And I certainly don't think that would work with Klopp.
“You look at (Roberto) Firmino, as technically gifted as he is, as free-spirited as he is, he still fits into the system, still works hard, still tracks back to win the ball back in midfield.
“If he's asked to drop deeper, he does it. If he's asked to play high, he does it. (Sadio) Mané and (Mo) Salah the same. As technically gifted as they are, they're doing their bit for the team. It's quite obvious that Klopp needs that.
“If he can't trust someone 100 per cent, it looks to me like he won't play you. That isn't to say Shaqiri's not a gifted player, because he is. He's one of the best I've played with.”
Arguably Shaqiri’s finest moment for Liverpool came in a meeting with Manchester United during the 2018-19 campaign, with his two goals during a game at Anfield putting the final nail in the coffin for Jose Mourinho and his reign with the Red Devils.
Klopp’s side are preparing for a reunion with their old adversaries, with the Reds due at Old Trafford on Sunday in a game which Shaqiri will be hoping to force his way back into the matchday squad.