Sofa so good as Shrewsbury Town new-boy Sam Hart eyes Liverpool reunion
Sam Hart would have been cheering Liverpool on at home in his slippers – now the new Shrewsbury signing is hoping play a part in the Reds’ downfall.
The 23-year-old only joined on loan from Blackburn Rovers last Friday as a replacement for recalled Wolves youngster Ryan Giles and nine days later his new side are preparing for a mammoth FA Cup tie with the European champions.
Hart, from Bolton, joined his boyhood club as a 16-year-old and left four years later. He played in the same Reds youth team as Trent Alexander-Arnold.
“When I got the call from my agent to go to Liverpool was surreal,” recalled the Shrewsbury left-back. “I remember being in the back of a car. My dad was driving, my legs were shaking, I was so nervous.
“When I first signed there it was Brendan and a year-and-a-half later Jurgen came in and he’s never looked back has he!
”When I really came into the forefront it was Jurgen. Hopefully he’ll remember me – you never know do you? You’d like to think so.
“He was a massive character. He’s a great man. He got a lot out of his team.
“The people, coaches and players I’ve played with were obviously amazing for me. I’ve learned things people may never learn.
“I’m really happy to be in that privileged position of playing for them and hopefully I’ve learned enough to kick on.”
Hart, who appeared under Klopp in a friendly defeat in Mainz in 2016, is hoping to be involved for Town against the Reds on Sunday. Scott Golbourne is Sam Ricketts’ first choice, but the ex-Wolves man came off at half-time last weekend.
“I’m quite close with a couple of them,” Hart added of former Reds team-mates. “We never lost touch – I made friends for life. I can’t tell you who!
“That (friendly) was a whirlwind, I keep saying that, but I remember it like it was yesterday.
”I got privately flown out to Mainz because they were already out there.
“I only expected to be warming up. To be a part of that was just amazing. I remember getting the call from Jurgen ‘Sam, you’re coming on’. It was amazing. I’ll never forget it and neither will my family.
“I didn’t expect it, I couldn’t see it coming. It was really surreal for me.”
Ricketts’ men returned to training yesterday with new signings Hart and Josh Vela in tow. Hart, who has not played first-team football this season due to a summer hamstring problem and other issues, is eyeing an important week.
“It is (the aim to play),” he said. “We’ve got a big week of training and I’ll try to gel in with the lads. Hopefully I can do that and if I can do well we’ll see what happens.
“I would have had my slippers on the coach with my missus watching the game!”
