According to ESPN, Liverpool midfielder Elliott discussed his difficult loan spell at Villa and said he remains unsure about his long-term future at Anfield.

Liverpool midfielder Elliott spoke about his "very difficult" loan spell at Aston Villa and said he remains unsure about his long-term future at Anfield.

When Elliott joined Villa on loan last season, he thought it would be the end of his Liverpool career, having joined Liverpool from Fulham in 2019.

However, due to a clause in the loan agreement that would have required Villa to buy him for £35 million ($47 million) if he made his 10th appearance of the season, he only played 9 times for Unai Emery's side all season, totaling 277 minutes.

The 23-year-old has now returned to Liverpool for pre-season training, with an opportunity to prove himself to new head coach Andoni Iraola, and has featured in consecutive pre-season victories over Sunderland and Wrexham in the United States.

After Liverpool's 1-0 win over Wrexham on Wednesday night, Elliott said: "It feels amazing."

"Especially everyone knows how much I love this club, supporting them since I was a little boy, so to put the shirt back on, to represent the club, to live out a childhood dream, it's always there. As I said, every time I put the shirt on, I want to give 100%."

When asked if he felt it would be his last game for Liverpool when he joined Villa, Elliott said: "To be honest, yes. Because I wanted to take on a new challenge.

"I wanted to explore something new, get out of my comfort zone, which I personally felt would help me grow as a player again.

"Unfortunately, things didn't go to plan, but in my eyes, that was last season, and now I'm back. It's arguably a second chance.

"Especially with the gaffer and the new coaching staff coming in, it's another chance to prove myself and hopefully get into their good books. But whatever happened last season, I wish Villa all the best, I really enjoyed the team, and they were very good to me.

"Unfortunately, things still happened, but it was also a new growth experience. I can take this experience into my career and keep looking forward.

"I'm here now, and I want to establish myself in the team, or at least get into the squad."

"Mentally, it was really tough. As I said, it was a growth experience. It gave me something new to experience. Although I didn't want to go through it, and I wouldn't want any player to go through it because it really doesn't feel good at all, I have no resentment."

"I wish them all the best. I really liked them, and they treated me like one of their own, and I have a lot of respect for them for that."

"It was difficult both mentally and physically, but I've gotten through it now. At the end of the season, I also achieved some results, like winning the Europa League with Villa."

"That was another historic moment for the club, and it was a great experience to be a part of it. But my focus now is on Liverpool this season, and I just have to see what happens next."

Last season, Elliott was once tipped for a breakout season. He performed well for England at the European U21 Championship last summer. Some believed he had a chance to make Thomas Tuchel's senior national team World Cup squad, but a lack of playing time hampered his opportunities.

Elliott said: "[Emery] explained it very, very clearly, and said it several times. The whole club apologized to me for it, and at the end of the day, it was a situation I couldn't control, as long as I was 100% clear about what the situation was and what the problem was, that was enough.

"The feeling at that time was: 'Okay, I can accept that. I know what the situation is now.' The next step was how I handled it, how I showed professionalism, and I hope I did that at the club.

"I'm not the kind of person who will make a fuss and cause trouble, because no one deserves that. It's just part of football, after all. For me, as I said, it was a growth experience, and an opportunity I hope not to go through again, but I know I've gotten through it. I can do it again.

"I feel like I need to be more careful with my decisions in the future. At the end of the day, I still want to be a bit selfish at this level, and make the choices that are best for me, whether that's staying here and fighting for a spot, or potentially going somewhere else, I'm still not sure until I get more information.

"But I'm really happy to be back. I've had a big smile on my face ever since I walked into the AXA Training Centre on day one. As I said before, about putting the shirt back on, I don't want to take these moments for granted, because last season I thought that would be my last time doing it, and now I'm back again.

"I'm wearing this shirt again, and I just want to play freely, play as many games as possible, and enjoy myself, because sometimes I feel like I haven't done enough. There's no better feeling than playing for Liverpool."

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