Xherdan Shaqiri: ‘In sport, you always have a chance to escape’

The Swiss midfielder opens up about growing up amid the Kosovo War, his new life in the Windy City and why he's backing Jurgen Klopp to reverse Liverpool's fortunes

There is something about Xherdan Shaqiri. He has a presence. At just 5ft 7in, it's not his towering height.

The former Liverpool, Stoke City, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan is in a relaxed mood following a training session with Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire. Casual. Polite. But then I see it. A glance. A flash of the eyes that reveals something more. A reminder perhaps of a long journey that began in Gjilan, Kosovo. Or Yugoslavia as it was, when he was born in 1991.