Former Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was surprised by how manager Jurgen Klopp blanked him last season.
Besitkas midfielder Oxlade-Chamberlain left Liverpool over the summer after coming off contract.
He told The Athletic: "Some of the younger players were getting an opportunity to be involved, getting them ready for years to come, which I understand.
"I just guess you want that communicated to you because you start going out of your mind thinking, 'What more can I do here?'. And it was never really written off that you're not getting offered a new contract.
"It was never said (that he wouldn't get a new deal). I obviously got the picture (laughs).
"I got told before they released the statement (three days before that Villa game): 'Just so you know, we're putting this out about you, Milly, Bobby and Naby leaving'. And I was like, 'Oh, OK. Thanks'. But there was nothing official at any point before. It was just… the silence was enough to know what the situation was.
"You just… expect certain things to be told — whether it's good, bad, whatever, that's how the game goes. The lack of communication was… a bit surprising."
Oxlaed-Chamberlain added, "We (he and Klopp) had a good relationship. There was never any falling-out or anything like that.
"I understand as a manager it's not easy to navigate every player's needs, but when I was playing, I definitely enjoyed him a lot more than when I wasn't even on the bench (laughs). But that's how it goes."
