Javier Mascherano has paved the way for his Liverpool exit this summer by revealing the misery of his family's lonely existence in England.
The Argentina international was close to joining Barcelona last year but was left disappointed when the move to the Nou Camp fell through.
The midfielder's wife and two daughters feel isolated on Merseyside because they don't speak English and don't leave the house.
His only friends in the area are Liverpool's Argentinian players Emiliano Insua and Maxi Rodriguez. He also occasionally sees Manchester City pair Carlos Tevez and Pablo Zabaleta.
Mascherano, who will captain his country at the World Cup, looks set to leave Anfield after deciding to put contract talks on hold until after the tournament.
He hopes the club's financial situation - and Rafa Benitez's future - will have been resolved by the time he returns from South Africa in July.
"I don't do much stuff in my free time, that's the truth," said Mascherano.
"I could go to London with my wife to do some shopping but I have already been to London 1,000 times and if I want to go to another city I would have to take a plane.
"What kills me about living in Liverpool is that there are only two Argentinians here with me, Emiliano Insua and Maxi Rodriguez.
"Insua and I live in a private neighbourhood. He lives in one tower and I live in the other. There are 15 metres between us and we used to look at each other through the window.
"Sometimes Zabaleta comes from Manchester but there is no way Carlos Tevez comes here. If I want to see him, I have to go to his place and knock on his door.
"He doesn't like to leave his home. So during the winter, during those four or five months, I have to stay at home all day with my family.
"I have no problem living in Liverpool, but I think my wife and daughters deserve to enjoy every day to the full and live their lives - but they have to be at home all day.
"My wife doesn't speak a word of English, so she depends 100 per cent on me.
"I live here with them. That's my world, that's my life."
Mascherano, 25, arrived at Anfield from West Ham in February 2007.
The £18million move had been made permanent after a brief loan spell and he signed a four-year deal which now has just nine months to run.
Barcelona made their interest known last summer. But Benitez, who was in the process of selling Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid, could not decide whether he wanted to sell another midfielder. Eventually he priced Mascherano out of a move.
The player's poor start to this season could be explained by the effect the collapse of the transfer had on him psychologically.
He wanted the move for the sake of his family because life in the Catalan city would have allowed them to speak in their native Spanish.
"The situation with Barcelona really affected me," he said.
"It was a shame it didn't happen as it was the city I wanted to live in.
"There were many discussions and problems during that month and a half. They were difficult times for me. One day I was off to Barcelona, the next I wasn't.
"And Liverpool said I was non-transferable.
"Psychologically, it affected me as I couldn't think in Liverpool and I was focused on other stuff and not on my work, my training and playing.
"Also we were having problems with Argentina as our qualification to the World Cup was in danger.
"There was a lot of complicated stuff at that time."
The Argentina international was close to joining Barcelona last year but was left disappointed when the move to the Nou Camp fell through.
The midfielder's wife and two daughters feel isolated on Merseyside because they don't speak English and don't leave the house.
His only friends in the area are Liverpool's Argentinian players Emiliano Insua and Maxi Rodriguez. He also occasionally sees Manchester City pair Carlos Tevez and Pablo Zabaleta.
Mascherano, who will captain his country at the World Cup, looks set to leave Anfield after deciding to put contract talks on hold until after the tournament.
He hopes the club's financial situation - and Rafa Benitez's future - will have been resolved by the time he returns from South Africa in July.
"I don't do much stuff in my free time, that's the truth," said Mascherano.
"I could go to London with my wife to do some shopping but I have already been to London 1,000 times and if I want to go to another city I would have to take a plane.
"What kills me about living in Liverpool is that there are only two Argentinians here with me, Emiliano Insua and Maxi Rodriguez.
"Insua and I live in a private neighbourhood. He lives in one tower and I live in the other. There are 15 metres between us and we used to look at each other through the window.
"Sometimes Zabaleta comes from Manchester but there is no way Carlos Tevez comes here. If I want to see him, I have to go to his place and knock on his door.
"He doesn't like to leave his home. So during the winter, during those four or five months, I have to stay at home all day with my family.
"I have no problem living in Liverpool, but I think my wife and daughters deserve to enjoy every day to the full and live their lives - but they have to be at home all day.
"My wife doesn't speak a word of English, so she depends 100 per cent on me.
"I live here with them. That's my world, that's my life."
Mascherano, 25, arrived at Anfield from West Ham in February 2007.
The £18million move had been made permanent after a brief loan spell and he signed a four-year deal which now has just nine months to run.
Barcelona made their interest known last summer. But Benitez, who was in the process of selling Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid, could not decide whether he wanted to sell another midfielder. Eventually he priced Mascherano out of a move.
The player's poor start to this season could be explained by the effect the collapse of the transfer had on him psychologically.
He wanted the move for the sake of his family because life in the Catalan city would have allowed them to speak in their native Spanish.
"The situation with Barcelona really affected me," he said.
"It was a shame it didn't happen as it was the city I wanted to live in.
"There were many discussions and problems during that month and a half. They were difficult times for me. One day I was off to Barcelona, the next I wasn't.
"And Liverpool said I was non-transferable.
"Psychologically, it affected me as I couldn't think in Liverpool and I was focused on other stuff and not on my work, my training and playing.
"Also we were having problems with Argentina as our qualification to the World Cup was in danger.
"There was a lot of complicated stuff at that time."
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