Christian Benteke has said he can't understand why he is not playing under new Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp in an interview with Sport Magazine in Belgium.
Benteke, speaking while away with the Belgium squad for the international break, revealed that he found being out of favour at Anfield hard to comprehend as Klopp -- who admitted that he tried to sign Benteke while he was Borussia Dortmund manager -- has seemingly gone off him.
Asked whether he was worried by his lack of playing time at Anfield, Benteke said: "I'm going to be honest with you -- at the start, yes. From the time Jurgen Klopp arrived, I felt it was going to be complicated for me. Even if I knew that he liked me.
"Some of my teammates even said to me that I was lucky to see Klopp arrive because I was practically certain to play. But in my head, and after what I experienced in my career, I said to myself that anything could happen. And I wasn't mistaken."
Despite having cost Liverpool £32.5 million in July 2015, Benteke has been relegated to the bench under Klopp and has not started a league match since the 2-0 defeat at West Ham United on Jan. 2.
The former Aston Villa forward has struggled for form and confidence in his first season at the club, while Klopp has preferred to field Roberto Firmino, Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi ahead of him.
"When a coach meets you and tells you he wants to bring you to Dortmund and then you meet him later, but it's not working, you say to yourself that not everything is always very clear," he added.
"Still today, he tells me that I'm a striker who can do everything... I have variety to my game but why am I not playing then? He has his choices and I've got to respect them."
Benteke has looked ill-suited to Liverpool and to the style of play demanded by Klopp. But the 25-year-old denied that this was the case and admitted he was baffled by talk that he doesn't fit the German's tactics.
"Yes, that's what I find strange," he said. "And I don't understand that they would say that I don't suit his style of play. Pressing, to move, I know how to do it. It's not like we were playing like Barcelona either."
West Ham have been linked with a summer move for Benteke and co-chairman David Sullivan has confirmed his club admire the striker but fear his wages may price them out of a deal.