Xherdan Shaqiri has admitted he would never have joined Liverpool if Stoke City had not suffered relegation from the Premier League in 2018, with Jurgen Klopp's call proving the turning point in his career.

Xherdan Shaqiri has confessed he would never have moved to Liverpool had Stoke City managed to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

The 35 year old spent three productive campaigns with the Potters, but couldn't prevent their drop to the Championship in 2018 despite contributing eight goals and seven assists across 36 Premier League outings during his final season at the club.

Liverpool capitalised on Stoke's descent to the English second tier by securing the former Switzerland international, triggering a £13.5m relegation release clause in his deal.

Shaqiri subsequently flourished at Anfield, becoming a beloved figure amongst supporters as part of the squad that claimed the Premier League, Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup and European Super Cup under Jürgen Klopp.

Featuring 63 times for the Reds across three campaigns on Merseyside, the Swiss contributed eight goals and nine assists before departing in pursuit of regular first-team football, reports the Liverpool Echo.

While he harbours no regrets about his decision to join Liverpool, maintaining it was the correct move for him at that juncture, Shaqiri acknowledged his departure from Stoke was necessitated by their relegation.

"For sure, (I would have stayed). For sure," he said. "For me, I felt very very well. I had a good season.

"If we stayed up, I would love to stay because I felt after three years, I felt like home. I had a good season personally but I was really disappointed that we got relegated. This club deserves to be in the Premier League, 100%.

"(It hurt me) a lot, because I was used to winning. And then for the first time, I got relegated. It was something new for me, I was really disappointed and it was difficult for me at that time. I was devastated. I tried my best, I gave everything but in the end something was not right and we got relegated."

He went on to say: "Obviously I was devastated to go down, but on the other side, one other door opens. For me it was not simple, but I couldn't stay in the Championship. It was not my goal, because I wanted to play higher.

"Jurgen Klopp called me and yeah, in the end, I think it was the right choice to do, because I won everything with Liverpool after and we had a successful time."

Shaqiri further revealed that he had harboured ambitions of joining Liverpool during the summer of 2014 while at Bayern Munich, only to be denied an exit by the German giants. He subsequently moved to Internazionale in January 2015, before putting pen to paper at Stoke City just six months later.

"Yes, I could also go (to Liverpool) in 2014 before the World Cup," he recalled to Stoke City's Potters' Pod. "They contacted me and I obviously wanted to go, but FC Bayern said no. So, in the end, a couple of years later I went to Liverpool. It was amazing. Amazing times."

One of the standout moments of Shaqiri's time at Anfield came when he played a pivotal part in the memorable 4-0 comeback triumph over Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals.

With both Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino sidelined through injury, the Swiss international featured in an attacking trio alongside Sadio Mané and Divock Origi.

Setting up the Reds' equaliser with a precise delivery for Gini Wijnaldum, Shaqiri acknowledges that overcoming Barcelona ranks among the finest days of his life.

"It was one of the best comebacks I ever saw and I was in it!" he said. "It was crazy, also for the Liverpool fans, probably one of the most important and best games in their life.

"And for me too, because this is something unbelievable, what we achieved together. After the first leg, we lost 3-0, we still believed. We had some players who were injured.

"I think it was one of the best days ever in my life, too, because after with the fans, it was something really special where I have not experienced my whole life."