Jamie Carragher hits back at Georginio Wijnaldum after ex-Liverpool midfielder says he felt scapegoated on social media

JAMIE CARRAGHER has hit out at Georginio Wijnaldum after the Dutchman pointed to social media abuse when discussing his Liverpool exit.

Wijnaldum, 30, left Anfield after five years this summer - following a long-running contract stand-off.

He appeared to exit on good terms with the Reds faithful, receiving a rapturous ovation after being substituted during his final game.

But when discussing his departure with the The Guardian, he subsequently revealed that he felt scapegoated by the online section of the club's fanbase.

And he also admitted that he didn't feel supported by owners FSG.

Liverpool legend Carragher, however, isn't having his claims.

The 43-year-old tweeted: "I love Gini but this is not right, social media is a circus & every club has clowns.

"Turn off your notifications & if it’s bothering you that much delete the app!

"He wanted more money the club said no, that’s football!"

Wijnaldum had said: "There was a moment when I didn’t feel loved and appreciated.

"Not my teammates, not the people at Melwood. From them, I know… I can say they all love me and I love them. It was not from that side, more the other side."

He then added: "I have to say also there was social media. When it went bad, I was the player who they blamed – that I wanted to leave.

My feeling was that the fans in the stadium and the fans on social media were two different kinds. The fans in the stadium always supported me

Georginio Wijnaldum

"Every day in training and in the games, I gave everything I had to bring it to a good end because, during the years, Liverpool meant so much to me and because of the way the fans in the stadium were treating me.

“My feeling was that the fans in the stadium and the fans on social media were two different kinds. The fans in the stadium always supported me.

"Even when they came back [after the Covid lockout], already knowing that I was going to leave, they still supported me and, in the end, they gave me a great farewell.

"On social media, if we lost, I was the one who got the blame. There was a moment when I was like: ‘Wow. If they only knew what I was doing to stay fit and play every game.’

"Other players might have said: ‘OK, I am not fit.’ You get players in their last year who are like: ‘I’m not playing because it is a risk.’ I did the opposite.

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"I didn’t always play good but, after the game, I could look in the mirror and say: ‘I gave it all. I trained hard to get better.’ Even with the physios… I took the most possible treatment I could get.

"I cannot remember when I had a day off because I played so many games and basically it was too much for the body but I did everything to stay fit."

Wijnaldum played in all 38 of Liverpool's Premier League games last season, before opting to snub strong interest from Barcelona and join up with Mauricio Pochettino at Paris Saint-Germain.

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