The sad decline of Nathaniel Clyne – the forgotten man in Liverpool’s rise The full-back played a key role in turning round the Reds’ early form under Jurgen Klopp but injury after injury have ravaged his career

On 21 May 2017, Nathaniel Clyne played in Liverpool’s 3-0 home win over Middlesbrough. That victory marked a turning point in Jürgen Klopp’s tenure. Liverpool’s manager had been under considerable pressure having seen the club fall from first place in November to fifth by the end of February, but ten points from their final four league games secured a second Champions League campaign in eight years.

It was significant for Clyne too. Appearing in every minute of Liverpool’s final four matches – all clean sheets – meant he had played more league minutes than any other Liverpool player that season. The Reds were on the up; he was a key starter.

Nine days later, Clyne withdraw from England’s squad to face Scotland and France in June. Kyle Walker’s form meant that Clyne was not certain to start either game, but he was a guaranteed squad pick. Gareth Southgate revealed that Clyne had been carrying an injury for some time. He had played through the pain to help Liverpool when they needed him most.

By September, niggling issue had become serious injury. “The reality is we are looking at some time before he is back,” said Klopp as he excluded Clyne from his Champions League squad. “I am told it will be longer than just a couple of weeks, so we will continue to monitor and assess.”

On the first weekend of the season, Klopp had given a third Premier League start to an academy graduate in Clyne’s place. The Trent Alexander-Arnold era had arrived.

One door closes, another opens. Alexander-Arnold has flourished at Anfield, establishing himself as the next local boy done great to take over Steven Gerrard’s mantle as red-shirted Merseyside icon.

Meanwhile, Clyne battles on. He made only three league appearances in 2017-18 and then moved on loan to Bournemouth for the second half of last season to get some regular football. Finally back fit at Liverpool, he was taken on the preseason tour of the US. In their first match against Borussia Dortmund in South Bend, Indiana, Clyne suffered a cruciate ligament injury that has ruled him out for another six months.

Football clubs quickly move on from their seriously injured players; they have little choice. The staff list at major clubs is so lengthy that Clyne has continued to receive the personal touch, but there is no place for sentiment. Time waits for no team. Managers search for alternative options, deputies are given the chance to shine and new stars are inevitably born.

But it’s still worth dwelling upon the decline of an England international through no fault of his own. Had Clyne played a role in his own downfall, it might have been easier to wrestle with. As it is, a 28-year-old has missed the best years of his career through nothing but repeated rotten luck. Having no target for your blame leaves an emotional vacuum. Football was his best medicine for relieving any stress and worry. Now football has caused it. Now there’s no football at all.

Sympathy is typically thin on the ground for professional footballers. They should expect extreme scrutiny and staunch criticism as standard, and woe betide anyone who has a bad day or fails to live a monastic life. Doing a job that so many people would love and getting paid handsomely for it brings with it an assumed higher tolerance for setbacks. Money and fame is no emotional comfort blanket, whatever supporters might think.

Take even a moment to imagine the reality of life as an injured player. Everything you have worked towards, the one thing that you prioritised to the sacrifice of all else as you grew up, has been ripped away without warning. No training, no matches, no spending time with your friends; just the long road to recovery and rehabilitation. The best medicine is patience, yet patience is the one thing young players are taught to abandon in favour of ambition and drive. Your muscles and ligaments are your moneymakers, and they have let you down. The potential for mental anguish is obvious.

Clyne’s only option is to work harder and longer, because admitting defeat allows his raison d’etre to unravel. He must prove to coaches, scouts and managers that he can still be a force in the Premier League, at Anfield or elsewhere. But injuries leave a lasting emotional scar. How do you learn to trust your body again after repeated breakdown? To play with doubt is to play with a sack of stones on your back, but doubt cannot be shaken easily.

Nobody can blame Liverpool supporters for forgetting Clyne. Nobody can blame them for moving on and discovering potentially the best English right-back of his generation. But while Liverpool basked in the glory of their Champions League success and Premier League progress, it’s worth remembering someone who helped take them to such grand auditions. In doing so, it’s impossible not to wish Clyne the very best of good health and fortune.