WWE Superstar and proud Liverpool fan Sheamus has delivered a damning verdict on two of the Reds’ biggest names of the modern era.
Three-time WWE Champion Sheamus has never been shy about voicing his opinions. The lifelong Liverpool supporter has previously branded Gary Neville ‘annoying’, describing the Manchester United legend as “[looking] like he’s chewing a mouthful of bees” during a media tour in the UK.
The Irishman’s love for Liverpool runs deep and started with the connection to his homeland, citing fellow countrymen Ronnie Whelan, John Aldridge, and others, as the reason he fell in love with the Reds during his youth. For Sheamus, the history, the players and legacy of Liverpool means everything, but sometimes legacies can be tarnished.
During a recent episode of Classic Football Shirts, Sheamus made his stance clear on two former Liverpool players, saying that the lack of loyalty destroyed the way they’re looked back on by Reds fans.
“I think Torres ruined his legacy. He could have been remembered as a Liverpool legend. The same thing happened to Coutinho too. The players think that the grass is always greener on the other side.”
Speaking about the often divisive subject of player loyalty, Sheamus argued that both Fernando Torres and Philippe Coutinho damaged their reputations at Anfield by the manner of their exits.
While both were adored during their peak years on Merseyside, the ‘Celtic Warrior’ insists their legacies will always carry an asterisk for walking away when the club needed them most.
Fernando Torres arrived at Liverpool in 2007 and instantly became a Kop icon. His lethal finishing and electric partnership with Steven Gerrard made him one of the most feared strikers in Europe.
But the decision to swap Anfield for Chelsea in 2011, right in the middle of the season, left fans stunned. The £50 million move broke British transfer record, but for many supporters it broke something deeper — trust.
The Spaniard had been Liverpool’s talisman, scoring 81 goals in 142 appearances, but the lure of joining a Chelsea side pushing for trophies proved too strong.
At Stamford Bridge, Torres’s form never hit the heights of his Anfield days. Although he scored some crucial goals, including a famous Champions League semi-final strike against Barcelona in 2012, his return was modest at best.
Philippe Coutinho’s story follows a similar pattern. The Brazilian magician lit up Anfield for five years, dazzling with his skill, vision, and long-range goals. But in January 2018, he forced through a blockbuster £142 million transfer to Barcelona.
It was supposed to be the pinnacle of his career, brought to Camp Nou to fill the void left by Neymar. But almost from the start, things didn’t go to plan.
Coutinho struggled to find his place in a Barcelona side built around Lionel Messi. Despite flashes of brilliance, he never hit the consistency that made him so adored at Anfield. The pressure of the price tag, constant tactical reshuffles, and the weight of expectation saw him fall down the pecking order.
Despite picking up silverware along the way, the careers of both Torres and Coutinho petered out in to stories of what could have been — once world-class talents with record-breaking transfer fees, but never quite fulfilling the potential they both showed in front of the Kop.
For Sheamus and many Reds fans, they chose ambition and personal gain over sticking by the badge, and that decision means they’ll never be remembered in the same light as true club legends.
