Liverpool Training Session
Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

The boyhood Liverpool fan returns to Schalke after a half season at Anfield on loan.

At the end of January, Liverpool signed Ozan Kabak from Schalke on a half-season loan deal with an option to sign the player permanently in the summer. When the calendar turns over to July 1st, he will officially be a Schalke player once again.

Between those dates, the 21-year-old Turkish international and boyhood Liverpool fan made thirteen total appearances for the Reds, helping them to get back on track after a difficult winter and push back into the Champions League places.

Now, while it’s not the ending that he would have hoped for, Kabak is saying his goodbyes to the club he grew up wanting to join and in the end got the chance to—even if it was only for half a season at a time when fans couldn’t attend games.

“Dear Liverpool family, I would like to thank you for the compassion and support you have shown towards me since I arrived,” Kabak said. “I believe the experience I have gathered during my four-month stay has been a very important one.

“I have learned a lot from my manager Jürgen Klopp and all my teammates and I was proud to be part of this special family. I will always remember my days here at Liverpool with great happiness and the special song which you have gifted me.”

Schalke, now relegated to the 2.Bundesliga, are expected to find a permanent home for the centre half this summer with their wage bill in need of trimming. So far this summer, Kabak has been linked to a handful of clubs in England and Italy.

Wherever Kabak does end up next season, hopefully the young defender finds success and the chance to continue his development.