Kostas Tsimikas has opened up about his playing time at Liverpool, admitting he would “like to play more” but is “happy” with the role he currently has at Anfield.
Since arriving at Liverpool in 2020, Tsimikas has acted as Andy Robertson‘s deputy and thus has never featured more than 29 times in any of his five seasons.
With Arne Slot overseeing an overhaul of his squad, the Greek defender has been expected to depart this summer amid interest from the Premier League and beyond.
The shift in Andy Robertson‘s status, however, has cast Tsimikas’ exit into doubt with Milos Kerkez to take over the role as first-choice left-back once his transfer is complete.
Tsimikas is not itching for a move if his interview with Sport 24, conducted before the final game of the season, is anything to go by.
“It’s definitely a temptation to play more,” Tsimikas explained. “But for me, the 27-29 games I play every year in all competitions are more than playing 40 for another team and in another league.
“Here I am on the Broadway of football.
“I’m happy here, for five years I’ve always been happy with these players I had by my side and with the jersey I wore.
“It’s very difficult to reach such a level, to play in 27 games in a season with a Liverpool shirt.
“If you think about it, not all players play 50 games, some play 50, others 10, others play five. I think 27 games I played on average over the last four years is a good number.
“I would definitely like to play more, but from then on in this league, with this team I was always happy and I always gave my best, so I was OK with the games I played.”
Valuable mentality as a back-up
Leeds are known to be interested in a deal for Liverpool’s No. 21, while Nottingham Forest and Wolves have been linked in the past, with Valencia and Lille also name-checked.
The Mail‘s Lewis Steele previously offered a speculative price tag of £15 million for a player who just managed his most appearances (29) in a single season since joining.
That Tsimikas is content to be a rotational option will be equally positive and negative for Slot, who values the desire to be a consistent starter in a player but will also be appreciative of Tsimikas’ mentality as a backup.
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It is not always easy to find a player like Tsimikas who understands his role in the squad, what it means to win with Liverpool and can also inject positivity throughout the dressing room.
An exit will still be expected by most but Robertson’s deliberation over joining Atletico Madrid will have a lot to say in if Tsimikas continues at the ‘Broadway of football’.
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