“Liverpool should have kept him”: Steven Gerrard identifies a serious transfer mistake in the Jürgen Klopp era

Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard considers one transfer from the Jürgen Klopp era to have been a particularly consequential mistake by the Reds.

Steven Gerrard still cannot get his head around Liverpool letting Neco Williams join Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2022 for around €20 million. Working as a pundit for TNT Sports during Saturday's Premier League clash between Liverpool and Nottingham, Gerrard was full of praise for the former Liverpool player's development. In his view, Williams is exactly the kind of player any top club would want.

"This player trains exactly the way he plays. He comes into training every morning and does everything right. He is extremely professional and a real winner. He is very aggressive, hugely ambitious and competitive. We already knew about his talent," Gerrard said. He worked as a youth coach at Liverpool from 2017 to 2018 and therefore knows Williams extremely well.

Steven Gerrard regrets loss of Neco Williams: "Liverpool should have kept him"

For the club legend, Williams is still nowhere near his ceiling. "If you combine his talent with all of these qualities, you can play at this level in the Premier League - and also establish yourself at this level in the long term," explained the former England international.

So Gerrard's verdict was crystal clear: "For me, he is an outstanding full-back. And I'm really not just saying that - and I want to apologise to Nottingham Forest's fans: in my opinion, Liverpool definitely should have kept him."

Developed in the Reds' academy, Williams made his first-team debut under Klopp in 2020. Strong competition stopped the Welshman from nailing down a regular place at Anfield. Liverpool sent him on loan to Fulham in January 2022, then made the split permanent a few months later.

Neco Williams made 33 appearances for Liverpool

After that move, Williams found a far bigger role at Nottingham Forest and quickly became a regular starter. He made only 33 competitive appearances for Liverpool in total. With Forest, he reached the Europa League semi-finals in 2026, but missed out on a place in the final.

Saturday brought a reunion with his former club, with Williams featuring for Nottingham against Liverpool. Across from him, Milos Kerkez started at left-back for the Reds but did not have an outstanding day.

Although Williams is under contract at Nottingham until 2029, rumours over a possible departure continue to swirl. The 25-year-old has been linked with Tottenham Hotspur, but wants no part of that speculation: "I am focusing on where I am today - and that is Forest. There is nothing more I can do," he told TNT Sports.