Pepe Reina flattered by Barcelona link but is comfortable at Liverpool

 
21 May 2013

Jose Reina admits he is flattered to be linked with a return to former club Barcelona but has again insisted he is happy at Liverpool, with whom he is under contract until 2016.

Reina is one of the names being touted as a possible replacement for long-serving Barca goalkeeper Victor Valdes, who has told the Catalan giants he intends to leave the club and could sever ties this summer.

The 31-year-old Reina, who came up through the youth ranks at Barca before joining Villarreal over a decade ago, said of the speculation: "I have three more years with Liverpool. I'm satisfied, comfortable and my family are very happy. Rumours are difficult to control but it's flattering when a club like Barca are interested in you."

The Spain international added to radio station Cadena Ser: "I don't know if there has been contact between the clubs or with my agent. At the moment I don't think there's anything serious."

Reina hopes to finish his career back in his homeland, but the Reds keeper added: "I don't know how long I've got left in football, what I do know is I want to enjoy what remains and feel appreciated and at Liverpool I have that."

Reina, son of former Barca goalkeeper Miguel Reina, played several first-team matches while still a teenager at Barca but left the club in 2002 without winning any major silverware.

In the last half-a-dozen years Barca have emerged as the dominant force in both Spain and Europe, winning trophy after trophy, but Reina is not dwelling on what might have been.

"The years I was in Barcelona were very good, I don't have any bad feelings about not succeeding there. I played more than 50 games, when I was less than 20, it helped me grow a lot," he said.

"I would've liked to have played there more, of course, but there's no need to over-dramatise things."

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