‘When Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard talked, I asked them to repeat it in English’: Liverpool flop Andriy Voronin admits he could not understand his team-mates’ Scouse accents and ‘couldn’t cope’ at Anfield
- Andriy Voronin signed for Liverpool on a free transfer in the summer of 2007
- But the former Ukraine international struggled to adapt to the Premier League
- Voronin admits weather and no winter break made it difficult for him to settle
- He claims Jamie Carragher was also one of his toughest ever opponents
Former Liverpool misfit Andriy Voronin has admitted he struggled to understand team-mates Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard’s Scouse accents while failing to settle at Anfield.
Voronin arrived on Merseyside on a free transfer in the summer of 2007 and was largely expected to provide adequate cover for the also recently signed Fernando Torres, having penned a four-year deal.
But the former Ukraine forward never adapted to the Premier League, claiming he had issues communicating with dressing room leaders Gerrard and Carragher while struggling with the UK weather and a lack of a winter break.
Striker Andriy Voronin never adapted to life in Liverpool following his free transfer in 2007
When quizzed on his Liverpool memories, the 41-year-old told Goal: ‘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.
‘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 travelling and playing, which was very exhausting.’
Voronin (right) admits he struggled to understand the Scouse accents of team-mates including Steven Gerrard (left) and Jamie Carragher
Voronin cites Carragher (pictured in training from 2008) as one of the toughest opponents he has ever faced following their battles on the training ground
Voronin had full respect for his peers while on Merseyside though, claiming that Carragher was one of the toughest opponents he had ever faced, saying he ‘hated playing against him in training’.
Following his arrival from Bayer Leverkusen, Voronin netted just six times across 28 games in his first season, before being sent out on loan to Hertha Berlin for the 2008-09 campaign.
Despite arriving back at Anfield for the 2009-10 season, he failed to find the net again across another 12 appearances before being sold to Dynamo Moscow for £4million in January 2010.
