Cape Town - Stoke City midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri has revealed that Bayern Munich halted his attempt to move to Liverpool in 2014.
Having joined the Bundesliga giants from Basel in 2012, Shaqiri enjoyed a lot of success in his first season at the club as Bayern won the Treble.
However, when Pep Guardiola replaced Jupp Heynckes as manager, the 25-year-old quickly found himself spending less time on the pitch and began to consider his options.
In the end, he had decided to join Liverpool after the 2014 FIFA World Cup, but his hopes of doing so were dashed by Bayern.
"That was my wish. I had offers from Liverpool and Atletico Madrid," Shaqiri told spox.com. "I opted for Liverpool. [Then-manager] Brendan Rodgers contacted me a few times during the World Cup. But Bayern blocked my move.
"There were several talks and it got loud a few times. Those responsible at Bayern believed my situation would change, it didn't, and we were right."
Shaqiri left Bayern six months after the World Cup and signed with Inter Milan in January 2015.
But, with the Serie A club failing to secure their place in any European competitions, the Switzerland international opted to join Stoke.
"To be honest, Inter's infrastructure is a disgrace. That such a renowned club can't find a way to invest into the infrastructure is just disappointing," Shaqiri said. "It's just more professional in England in terms of diet, regeneration, performance analysis and diverse training sessions."
Even though he ended up signing for Stoke rather than Liverpool, Shaqiri has no regrets about his decision.
"I don't care about that. Only people not looking at the bigger picture say that," he said. "I wanted to take a step away from the spotlight. Stoke and Mark Hughes already wanted me when I joined Inter. I had the feeling it would be the best fit. Hughes is a gentleman like Heynckes, who can make an unpleasant decision if needed."
Hughes will be hoping that Shaqiri can inspire his side to cause an upset over a Liverpool team he could have easily been representing when the two sides clash at Anfield on Tuesday night.
Kick off is scheduled for 19:15.