Marko Grujić has revealed that he turned down the opportunity to join Liverpool in January in order to fulfil his lifelong ambition of winning the Serbian championship with Red Star Belgrade.
The 19-year-old midfielder completed a £5.1 million switch from Red Star earlier in the week, penning a five-year contract after completing his medical on Merseyside.
But Grujić, who became Jürgen Klopp's first signing as Liverpool manager, chose to see out the rest of the season in his homeland to achieve a goal which he says he has held since the early days of his childhood.
Red Star currently sit 25 points ahead of second-placed FK Cukaricki during the mid-winter break and a staggering 26 points clear of reigning champions, and fierce rivals, Partizan Belgrade, who have won the Serbian SuperLiga seven times in the last eight years.
They have eight more top-flight games to play until the renewed format sees the league split between the top eight teams and the bottom eight, with the top teams - which will include Red Star - having their points halved and playing all the rest of the teams in this 'Championship round' once more to determine the champions, who then qualify for the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round.
Highly-rated midfielder confident of Red Star success
Grujić explained that "one of the first questions" he was asked after securing the deal was why he didn't join Liverpool straight away and walk into Klopp's injury-stricken first-team, saying that "Klopp himself told me that he needed me right then and there" but that he "couldn't give up" on his dream of "winning a title with Red Star."
The Serbian U21 international, who was part of the U20 squad that won the FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand last summer, insisted it "has been my dream ever since I started playing football" and that "now I'm so close to fulfilling that dream, I wasn't going to give that up lightly."
The teenager spoke about Red Star's "great advantage" in the league over all of their rivals and said that: "I'd really like to finish what I have started" and his teammates "want to continue this winning streak and write history with Red Star."
Grujić highlighted that even the Reds boss himself called them "the greatest club in Serbia" and hailed that "the greatness of Red Star is also known throughout Europe" because they are "the most successful."
He reiterated that the Barclays Premier League club's desire was for him to join in January, but insisted that "they understood what it is like to win a title with your mother club" and vowed to move to England "very satisfied and self-confident" in pre-season should he win the league.
Grujić pleased fee will help ease Red Star's financial issues
Red Star released a statement describing their reluctance to let go of Grujić due to his immense talent at a young age, but explained their dire financial situation - which almost saw them go into liquidation 18 months ago after they were denied entry into the 2014-15 Champions League for breaking the rules - meant they were inclined to accept Liverpool's offer.
The player himself explained his joy at helping to sort out Red Star's problems, referencing their "bad financial situation" and the fact "the players didn't receive any salaries since the summer" and "only got some bonuses."
He expressed his sympathies with the "youth coaches, the chef and other people working for the club" who he said "haven't received one salaray for a while now" - saying the fee received for him is a "financial injection" which isn't "a small deal" and will "help the club function better."
But to the delight of Liverpool supporters, Grujić said he only had one destination in his mind despite several major European clubs being interested in his services, insisting that he "wouldn't have accepted to go anywhere."
He acknowledged that he was swayed towards the Reds after a personal phone call from Liverpool manager Klopp which made him "really thrilled" and persuaded him to "sign then, because he might not call me again" as he called it "the first and best opportunity" for himself.
He insisted ever since his mind has been "completely set" on joining "only Liverpool" and admitted that "the entire story got dragged around the media" and "turned into a soap opera" which he said he is pleased with in the end due to the "happy ending."
Serbian praises new boss Klopp and admits long-term admiration for the German
Grujić had only positive words to say about his new manager as he revealed his long-standing respect and admiration for the German, particularly after a story he read about the charismatic 48-year-old on the internet a few years ago.
He admitted their coming together "seems like destiny" and told of how he "read an article about him [Klopp] going home on foot after losing a game" as Borussia Dortmund manager.
The midfielder, who can play in a defensive or attacking role, expanded that he "refused to drive back home" and "just waved" at opposing supporters who shouted at him on his way home and insisted it became "ingrained" in his memory.
He lauded Klopp as "very charismatic" and "similar to Red Star's coach in terms of his relationship with the players" because their relationship with the players is "not strictly professional" and is instead "much deeper than that", which Grujić says is why he "respects him so much" and believes he is "one of the best [managers] in the world."