HONG KONG -- Georginio Wijnaldum believes Liverpool now have a squad capable of competing for the Premier League title this season.
Wijnaldum played a significant role in Liverpool achieving a top-four finish last season following his £25 million move from Newcastle United. And the midfielder sat down with reporters at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in the Kowloon district of Hong Kong ahead of Liverpool's participation in the Premier League Asia Trophy this summer.
Q: Are you looking forward to the new season?
A: Yes. I think that last season we started well, but after the New Year we had a lot of bad results and I think that's why we didn't play in the competition for the title. I think we have a good base and we must learn from our mistakes and keep the things that went well or make it even better. Then I think we can fight for the title because we have a good team.
We made a lot of mistakes last season. We're going to see how far we are this season. I think we will learn from the mistakes that we have made, but we have to see how to undo them.
Q: Last season you were thrashing teams and it even took [Manchester United manager] Jose Mourinho to park the bus to stop Liverpool...
A: That's something we have to work on, our confidence too. A lot of people, journalists said that when a team parks the bus, we don't have a lot of solutions. We did it in training and when one team was parking the bus, the other team was still finding solutions.
If you have confidence then you will find solutions, even if a team drops really deep. That's something that we have to show this season. I think we have the players who can still find a way, even if a team drops deep. But we have to show it.
Q: You had a bad spell last season, but you came through it and finished fourth. Was there anything that the manager said to turn things around at the end of the season?
A: To be fair, he did the same that he did before. In bad times he tried to help us to keep the confidence to make us aware that we are good players and we have to use our quality because that's the only things that's going to help us in the situation where we were in that time. He stayed the same during the season.
I didn't see him change even when we had bad results. Maybe I saw him change, but in a positive way to help us out. He's really passionate and that's what you can see on the sideline. He's not a manager who will get angry if you make mistakes, or something like that. He will get angry if you don't play with confidence or don't do the things what you're good at.
Q: Are you confident that Liverpool's problems won't return again this season?
A: I won't say that we can immediately win the title, but I think we have a squad who can compete for the title. I'm confident that we will not make the same mistakes like last season, but that's my feeling. You do it as a team and not as an individual.
We must make sure with each other that we don't make the same mistakes that we made last season. We must read the games better. What do you need to win? You don't always have to win beautiful. I think Chelsea are a good example. Last season they were the best team. They knew what they had to do. That's what we needed to do. We must make sure we learn from the past and do it this season.
Q: How you played against the top teams last season must give you confidence potentially heading into the Champions League this term...
A: It will be a motivation for us, but we must remember every game is different so we must make sure we adapt to situations. We need to do our best to change things -- sometimes we've had good games, then small details happen and then we end up losing it -- like Bournemouth [in the 4-3 defeat], for example. We started well, second half we didn't and we didn't adjust properly.
Q: On a personal level, the opening goal against Middlesbrough on the final day of the season to help Liverpool reach the Champions League playoffs must be one of the biggest moments in your career.
A: Yes. Everyone was nervous in last couple of seconds [of the first half] you score and it was a relief for everyone. For us, the fans, the bench, the players, the manager, for everyone who supports Liverpool it was a relief -- that's what makes the goal beautiful. Everyone was nervous. Even on the field you heard the fans moaning when you played a pass back. It was an important one. The situation makes the goal even more beautiful.
When [Nathaniel] Clyne plays the ball to Roberto [Firmino] I thought he can play the ball to me. At that moment I was ready and when he played it I had one good touch and I looked in front and I didn't see no one. When I look back [Daniel] Sturridge was there but I didn't see him at the time. I thought I would shoot hard and high and hope it would go in.
Goalkeepers expect the far post but I thought I'd choose the near post. It's something a 'keeper told me when I was in the youth so I thought I am going to try it and see what happens. That's what I did and it worked.
Q: This season will see you play against your half-brother, Rajiv van la Parra, who is at Huddersfield Town, as well making a return to Newcastle...
A: It's really exciting to play against a family member. We played against each other in Holland a few times and I think I won all the games! That's a good sign. For our family, it doesn't matter who wins. They will be happy whatever.
[Newcastle] are a club which is in my heart. They gave me the opportunity to play in the Premier League. The fee was a lot of money at the time. A lot of clubs didn't want to take the risk that they took. The people at the club and the fans treated me real good.
I don't have a bad word to say about Newcastle. I am happy that they are back in the Premier League where they belong. Will I get a good reception there? I don't know. I heard it won't be great for me. But I still love that club. When I needed them, when I went there as a new signing, they supported me. I had a feeling they were happy I was there.
When a club like Liverpool come and give you the opportunity to play in the Premier League again -- it's one of the biggest clubs in the world so I didn't think twice. I wanted to make the transfer and I'm happy that I did.