When Pepe Reina wrote a goodbye letter to Liverpool supporters following the clubs decision to loan him to Napoli at the start of the 13/14 season, he was intimating that it was Brendan Rodgers who was ending his eight-year Anfield career, but in reality, writing that letter was the final nail in his coffin on Merseyside.
''Hes already written his letter, hasnt he? He wrote a goodbye letter, didnt he? I was surprised at the letter - when you a re a loan player, I would expect that he should come back, but obviously Pepe made it very clear when he went to Napoli that he was looking to move. He penned a great big letter saying he was going to work with the best manager that hed worked with and thanked him for his time for Liverpool. So, for me, it probably sounded like hed made his decision there. - Brendan Rodgers, February 2014.
What was the reason for the souring of Reinas relationship, which now sees him destined to seeing out the next few years of his career serving as Manuel Neuers water-carrier? In a similar fashion to when Harry Redknapp flirted with the England job while assuming his Spurs job would be there as a fall-back option, Rodgers was unimpressed with the Spaniards constant attempts to secure a move to Barcelona in the summer of 2013, and decided to give him the boot.