Farkas rejoins Liverpool academy as Luis Alberto admits he left Anfield too soon

Liverpool have confirmed the return of Hungarian youngster Patrik Farkas to the club’s Under-21 squad, while former midfielder Luis Alberto has admitted he regrets leaving Anfield prematurely during his time under Brendan Rodgers.

Farkas back at Anfield

Farkas, who spent a year in Liverpool’s academy before joining Blackburn Rovers in 2022, has now rejoined the club for a second spell. His brother Erik is already part of Liverpool’s Under-18 setup, making it a family affair on Merseyside.

“It’s a dream come true to sign here, I’m really happy and just excited to get started,” Farkas said upon completing his return. “I’m enjoying being back at Liverpool, there are some new faces but it’s good to meet everyone and also see lots of old friends.”

The midfielder described himself as a technical, box-to-box player capable of operating in multiple positions. “The coaches have just asked me to excite them, to get playing, be confident and show them what I can do. From there anything can happen.”

Luis Alberto’s Anfield regret

Meanwhile, Luis Alberto — signed by Rodgers from Barcelona B at the age of 20 — has reflected on a Liverpool career that never truly took off. The Spaniard made just 12 appearances for the club across three years, spending time on loan before eventually joining Lazio permanently.

“I came to England because of Brendan Rodgers,” the 33-year-old told ABC. “I knew it wasn’t going to be easy; going from Barcelona B to Liverpool was a big change, and that was to be expected. I trained, did what they asked of me, and got a few games and some playing time.”

Alberto was candid about where he felt he went wrong. “I always say I made a mistake by not accepting reality. I should have stayed longer, even if it would have taken me some time to break into the plans. I wasn’t patient enough, and I left the following year.”

The admission comes as Liverpool, now under new manager Andoni Iraola, prepare to face Bournemouth — Iraola’s former club — with both sides having drawn three of their opening four Premier League matches. The Reds will then face a three-week break due to the international window before hosting Manchester City on October 11.