Sepp van den Berg has revealed that he spoke to Burnley about a possible loan move this season, but did not want to spend another season in the second tier of English football.
Instead, the centre-back joined Bundesliga side Schalke after spending the previous 18 months on loan at Preston North End, where he emphasized how the Deepdale side helped him develop physically.
He has appeared in all three games for the German side since completing his loan switch with the Veltins Arena side currently ranked 14th in the league.
The Dutchman admitted he knew another loan move was likely this summer as he currently has to compete alongside the likes of Ibrahima Konate, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez for a starting spot alongside Virgil Van Dijk at Liverpool.
“To be honest, I already knew during pre-season that I was going to be loaned out. The chance to play in Liverpool is of course small,” he told ELF Voetbal (via Lancs Live).
“It was good to be on the bench for four more games in the Premier League this season. But I learn more when I play.
“Over the last year and a half I have gained a lot of experience at Preston North End in Championship. Just look at my shoulders. I have gained ten kilos, just muscle mass.
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“Another year the Championship was not my preference.
“I spoke with Burnley, but he still wanted to go one step further. The Bundesliga was my preference.”
The 20-year-old made a whopping 50 appearances for Preston last term (in all competitions) and it’s great to see he’s keen to continue his development.
To play for Liverpool you have to be prepared and it is clear that he is gaining vital experience during his loan spells.
The Bundesliga will present a different challenge for the central defender this season and it will be interesting to see how he fares against Champions League sides like Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig.
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He certainly has time on his side and the fact that he is hungry for more first-team playing time rather than sitting on the bench at Anfield indicates that he has a bright future ahead of him.
Van den Berg is an under-21 international for the Netherlands and has the perfect role model in Virgil van Dijk, the captain of the senior team, to learn from at his parent club.
We wish the youngster all the best for this season and hopefully he will return to Merseyside a better player at the end of the campaign.
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