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Liverpool's Lazar Markovic: Brendan Rodgers froze me out before loan exit

Lazar Markovic has said he joined Fenerbahce on loan after he was kept in the dark over his future at Liverpool by former Reds manager Brendan Rodgers.

Serbia winger Markovic said in an interview with Fenerbahce's club magazine that Rodgers' attitude towards him changed and he was left out of the squad last summer with no explanation as to where he stood at Anfield.

Markovic, who joined for £17.5 million from Benfica in the summer of 2014, struggled in his first season and has complained that he was played out of position.

After scoring three goals and providing one assist in 34 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool, he left for Istanbul in August on a season's loan. It had been reported that new Reds manager Jurgen Klopp could recall the player in January, but he has opted to see out the season at Fenerbahce and blames Rodgers for freezing him out.

"I had no problem with Brendan Rodgers and we had a bond until for some reason -- that remains a mystery to me -- he changed," Markovic said.

"He stopped playing me and then at the start of the season he did not even include me in the squad and nobody explained to me what was going on or what his plans were, so I decided to leave."

Markovic, now 21, has impressed at Fenerbahce, becoming a first-team regular and registering two goals and three assists in his first 19 appearances.

He suggested last month that he would be open to staying on with the Turkish club. 

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