Why It Would Be Best for All Parties If Jose Enrique Left Liverpool This Summer

Jose Enrique hasn't played a first-team game for Liverpool in seven months, was left out of the club's pre-season tour and has been forced to train separately from the rest of the squad, yet he believes that if he stays, he'll play.

"In the squad here we only have one pure left-back (Alberto Moreno), and I know that if I stay I’ll play," he says. "I want to prove that some are wrong."

Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

The Spaniard, who has one year left on his contract at Anfield, was speaking to Marca this week (h/t the Guardian), when he made this borderline-delusional claim.

Let's be completely clear: Enrique has absolutely no future at Liverpool FC.

He has been exiled from the squad along with unwanted Italian duo Fabio Borini and Mario Balotelli, training separately from the Reds' first team. If that isn't a big enough hint, nothing is.

One of those two, Borini, turned down a move to Sunderland last summer after Liverpool accepted a £14 million bid for the forward. He stayed to fight for his place and started just five games all season.

Brendan Rodgers was clearly annoyed that Borini did not accept the move but had to keep him involved in the squad due to the paucity of options the Liverpool boss had at his disposal up front.

Enrique is not in such a position, as contrary to what he says, Rodgers actually has plenty of options ahead of him at left-back.

Liverpool's Left-Backs

Moreno may be the only natural left-back in the current squad, but Rodgers has plenty of others who can play the role and who are ahead of Enrique in the pecking order.

Matt King/Getty Images

First off, there's youngster Joe Gomez, signed from Charlton Athletic this summer and who made his Premier League debut against Stoke City on Sunday. The 18-year-old looks set to be given the opportunity to make the position his own, competing with Moreno.

It seems that at least until form or fitness evades him, Gomez will be given the left-back role, with Moreno then seeking to impress in Europa League games and the early round(s) of the League Cup.

A few months down the line, the player who had made the position his until a knee injury struck him down a year ago, Jon Flanagan will return to add further depth. The 22-year-old is due to return before Christmas, according to This Is Anfield.

That's three players ahead of Enrique when the squad is fully fit, and without mentioning under-21 player Joe Maguire, who was selected for the pre-season tour of Asia and Australia and is therefore seemingly ahead of Enrique, too.

Throw in the fact Nathaniel Clyne has also played left-back in his career, and you have five players ahead of Enrique.

Enrique in 2014/15

Clive Rose/Getty Images

Puzzlingly, there are some Liverpool supporters who believe that Enrique somehow should be part of the squad. Presumably, they failed to watch any of his six appearances for the club last season.

"

I think we should try and bring Jose Enrique back, we need a strong left back, and he's being frozen out at Liverpool...

— Andy Armstrong (@AndyArmstrong_) August 12, 2015"

Enrique's first Premier League start of last season was in the away match at Queens Park Rangers in October, a game that prompted Jack Lusby of This Is Anfield to ask, "Is this Liverpool's worst ever Premier League defence?" Lusby wrote how Enrique "struggled immeasurably," failed in possession and was "inept" and "witless" defensively.

"

Defending: making mistakes and learning from them. #ignoreyourman https://t.co/tP7oDVpPsK

— Karl Matchett (@karlmatchett) October 20, 2014"

The 29-year-old completed just 52 percent of his passes, as noted by Squawka:

"

Jose Enrique has completed just 52% of his passes so far vs QPR; 1 of them was a glorious Hollywood pass, so it's OK. pic.twitter.com/X1swAzzjfH

— Squawka Football (@Squawka) October 19, 2014"

It was an abysmal display, but Rodgers somehow then opted to start Enrique in the must-win final Champions League group game in December. He was subbed at half-time for Moreno. That team selection remains one of the most baffling from any Liverpool manager in recent history.

Writing post-match, This Is Anfield's Henry Jackson rated Enrique as a four out of 10, commenting: "The Spaniard was pitiful during his 45 minutes on the pitch. He lost the ball continually in dangerous areas and offered no attacking thrust at all. Not good enough, and it’s rather baffling why he started."

After that abomination, Enrique made just one more start in 2014/15, in the FA Cup fourth round against Bolton Wanderers at Anfield. He was, again, subbed at half-time and has never played for the club since, not even named on the bench.

Michael Steele/Getty Images

It's at this point that you should be starting to realise that Enrique's assertion that he will play if he stays at Anfield has more to do with the following words from that interview with Marca this week:

"

I had a very good option to return to Spain, but [it] is complicated because the economy is very different from what exists here. The only teams that can deal with what is paid in England are Real Madrid and Barcelona, so I would love to stay here until my legs stop me.

"

Enrique is on a reported £65,000 per week, according to TSM Plug—a contract that certainly doesn't represent his worth and status within the squad.

It seems he's happy to collect his exorbitant wages and spend his time worrying more about Instagram posts than having a professional football career.

Moreno

Tony Marshall/Getty Images

It also appears that where Enrique adds nothing to the squad, he's also taking away from other squad members, namely compatriot Moreno. Melissa Reddy of the Anfield Wrap explained:

"

Enrique, meanwhile, puts the F U N in defunct. He’s always up for a game of table tennis, is forever logged into Instagram, and is ever ready – for a selfie. Everything is a laugh, anything is laugh. He says he knows he’ll play if he stays, as the club “only have one pure left-back” in Alberto Moreno.

Well, if he does hang around, he’s got 99 problems and Joe Gomez is one. In fact, part of the reason the 18-year-old has ousted Moreno to a first-team place is the Spaniard’s association with Enrique. Spending time joking around with those who can’t particularly be arsed is not going to work as well as putting in shifts to ensure you’re pushing yourself to infinity and beyond.

"

This explains why Enrique has been alienated from the squad: to stop his bad influence on younger players such as Moreno.

Clearly, it would be best for Liverpool if Enrique left this summer. It seems that Enrique himself would rather sit and collect his paycheck and defiantly believe he will somehow play his way back into the side. He won't.