'I'm a former Premier League striker and this is truth about famous Anfield atmosphere'

Former Reading and Stoke City striker Dave Kitson played at Anfield a couple of times and said it was the only atmosphere that had an effect on him during his career

Dave Kitson recalled what it was like walking out at Anfield(Image: Allstar)

Former Premier League striker Dave Kitson has revealed how Anfield was the only stadium that he felt emotional walking out at during his playing career.

Kitson played at Anfield twice during his career, losing 2-1 with Reading during the 2007-08 season, and coming away with a 0-0 draw while playing for Stoke City during the 2008-09 campaign.

The 46-year-old, who recently outed himself as The Secret Footballer, told Liberty Rock Sport just how moving it was walking out before those away games against Liverpool.

"The crowds never bothered me. The stadiums never bothered me. I was never overly impressed by playing somewhere. The only one where I ever felt genuine sort of emotion, was Anfield," Kitson said.

“When I came out of the tunnel at Anfield and you had those Fagan and Paisley and Shankly and all these flags and you think, 'oh my,' you know, ‘this is as good as it gets.' 'This is Anfield' is like a bullet in the head if you’re an opposition player.

"There’s the sign, there’s the first tones of 'You’ll Never Walk Alone', there’s the flags... it’s not necessarily showmanship. It’s a celebration of, this is who we are – we are the biggest club."

Anfield is often praised for its unique atmosphere, with many soccer legends having spoken of its impact over the years.

Speaking to Catalan publication Ara in 2019, shortly after Liverpool had produced its famous Champions League comeback against Barcelona, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said: "I thought they'd [Barcelona] score a goal at Anfield. And I am sure the players knew that Anfield is Anfield. The motto 'This is Anfield' is no marketing spin.

Pep Guardiola previously spoke about the famous Anfield atmosphere(Image: Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

"There's something about it that you will find in no other stadium in the world. They score a goal and over the next five minutes you feel that you'll receive another four. You feel small and the rival players seem to be all over.

"We've all gone through what happened to Barca. They were laughing at me when we were losing 3-0 after the first 15-20 minutes of the quarter-final [between Liverpool and Manchester City in 2018]. It's a b---- of a ground..."

Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, meanwhile, said of Anfield a few years ago: “It’s a marvellous atmosphere. You have to expect that atmosphere even if you’re losing. It was a really volatile atmosphere.”