Ex-Liverpool star who partnered Carragher in defence left unemployed at 32 after release by Championship club

FORMER Liverpool ace Daniel Ayala will be left unemployed after his contract expires with Blackburn.

The Spanish defender is set to be released by the Championship club following three years at Ewood Park.

Ayala joined the Lancashire club in 2020 after seven years with Middlesbrough.

But before joining Boro, he had spells at Nottingham Forest, Norwich, Derby, Hull and Liverpool.

He played five times in the Premier League for the Reds, making his debut as a substitute in a 2-1 defeat to Tottenham in 2009.

He played a full 90 minutes for the club on two occasions, with both games ending in 4-0 wins.

During this time he played alongside club legends such as Jamie Carragher, Fernando Torres, Javier Mascherano, and Steven Gerrard.

Ayala had joined the Anfield side as a youth prospect from the Sevilla academy but failed to hit his potential at the club, leading to his exit.

Now 32 years old, the defender will be looking for a new club following his release from Blackburn.

Speaking of his time at the Rovers, he told : “It’s a bitter-sweet moment really.

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“I’ve been really happy here for the last three years and part of me wanted to stay, because it’s a great club, with great fans and great staff, but I know that it’s part of football and I have to move on.

“I’ve had some really happy times here, but also some down moments as well, especially with a few injuries, which prevented me from playing as many games as I wanted and perhaps showing a bit more what I can do.

“Missing out on the play-offs in the last two seasons has been really frustrating, because I can see that the team has got enough to get there.

“For one reason or another we just fell short, but the club is in a great position to challenge again, with a great manager, a great group of players and real togetherness, and I firmly believe that they can get there.”

Blackburn missed out on a spot in the playoffs this season despite a thrilling 4-3 win over Millwall at The Den on the final day of the season.