It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Conor Coady has been affiliated with the city of Liverpool for most part of his football career.
With his alma mater rooted in Liverpool FC‘s Youth Academy, the 29-year-old, on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers, now plays for the blue side of Merseyside.
Coady officially exited Anfield in 2014, with a permanent transfer to Huddersfield Town, after a short stint at Sheffield on loan from the Reds.
So, unfortunately for the centre-back, his fidelity to Everton has often been the source of doubt for fans and players.
Now, obviously, Liverpool has been crucial in his professional career until now.
In fact, the centre-back has even issued public statements saying that he has been a Liverpool fan for a long time but ultimately, when he’s on the pitch, he’s only thinking about winning the game for Everton, regardless of who he’s playing against.
Therefore, Coady’s recent reaction to Jordan Henderson‘s question about whether he is a blue or a red, while he dons the Everton jersey, is understandably one of sheer annoyance.
On an earlier episode of the Lions’ Den show, Henderson essentially put his English teammate on the spot by asking him whether he’s blue or red.
Now, given that the two have had rifts in the past, and that Conor does have only a season to prove his mettle at Everton with people already having questioned his allegiance in the past, asking him a bald question like that only makes Henderson come off as a bully and the question itself reeks of sheer insensitivity to Coady’s candace about his love for Liverpool, and his allegiance to the teams he plays for.
Jos Denzel, host of the Lions’ Den show, trying to make light of his question, asks Henderson’s question to Coady directly about whether he’s a blue or a red and the Everton defender simply refused to hide his irritation any further and shut him down with a pointed response.
Coady said, “It’s so poor from him. We have banter all the time. Of course, I am playing for Everton. He knows deep down.”
“So, for him to come out there and ask that question is daft. Of course, I am blue. Of course, I am blue, without a shadow of a doubt.”
“For him to say that, you know what I am going to go back there sit down and have a coffee with him. I will give him a bit. That’s nowhere near good enough from the big fella. Blue all day long.”
Currently, Coady, on a break from his club duties, is a member of the 26-player squad representing England at the Qatar FIFA World Cup. With a win and a draw to their credit, England is almost sure to advance to the knockout stages of the World Cup.
Conor Coady is yet to make an appearance on the pitch for the Three Lions. But, given his stats in the Premier League, it may not be too long before we can see him defend in the World Cup.