Swansea City midfielder Jonjo Shelvey believes that he had to leave Liverpool because he was not getting "a fair crack of the whip".
The 21-year-old joined Michael Laudrup's side in a £5m deal after being forced down the pecking order at Anfield last season.
Shelvey told reporters: "It is a big, big thing to leave, to come away from one of the biggest clubs in football, but I felt that I needed to come and play.
"I didn't want to sit behind people. I felt that I wasn't getting a fair crack of the whip at Liverpool but that's football. I can't fault any of the players there because they were first class.
"I felt my days had come to an end, I needed to get away whether it was on loan or permanent, but I needed to leave and try to get some football."
Shelvey made 69 appearances for the Reds in three years at the club.
