Thiago details why he retired and what lies ahead following his return to Liverpool

Thiago has discussed his retirement from football and outlined his future plans after returning to Anfield as a Liverpool supporter.

The Spanish international departed Liverpool at the end of last season and chose to retire from playing. Since then, he has briefly joined Hansi Flick’s training sessions at Barcelona, aiming to build a new career in football.

On Saturday afternoon, Thiago visited Anfield for the first time as a supporter and gave an interview to the club’s official website.

He shared that his decision to retire at the age of 33 was driven by “physical issues.”

Thiago back at Anfield 😍 pic.twitter.com/PXbtDqicKm

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 14, 2024

“I miss being around – being around the team and the locker room. I miss the competitive part of the game,” Thiago said. “But at the end, the decision was forced by physical issues.”

He added that he is staying fit by playing with friends and staying engaged with football. “But I’m just keeping fit and trying to play as much as I can with my friends, and trying to be alive in the game,” he noted.

When asked about his future, Thiago suggested he might pursue a career in coaching. “Well, at the end I had the chance to get into football again, helping the coaching staff of Barcelona,” he explained. “I decided for the practical part, not for the theory – just because of the experience I had doing all these years in football and the kind of role I had in the team.”

“I just want to pass it through to other players. I love to help new players as well, young players to develop under the coach. It was a pretty good experience,” he added.

For now, Thiago is relishing more time with his family and enjoying a less hectic lifestyle. “You just get to know this side of life because since we were young we didn’t have more time for ourselves to know how life is more at home,” he said. “But also to be close to football, still doing analysis, coaching some boys and also living the game as well as a fan.”

Thiago is currently back on Merseyside, partly for tax reasons following his departure from Liverpool, and recently shared an update from the school run on Instagram.

Arne Slot might have wished for his midfield prowess on Saturday!