When Xabi Alonso patrolled the Liverpool engine room under Rafa Benitez during the noughties, he famously made up one-quarter of ‘the best midfield in the world’ along with Momo Sissoko, Steven Gerrard and Javier Mascherano.
Signed from Real Sociedad in a £10.7m deal in August 2004 when still only 22 years old, his arrival at Anfield was seen as something of a transfer coup. Already a full Spain international, he had long been tipped for greatness and the subject of interest from Real Madrid, only for his compatriot to lure him to Merseyside.
Wasting no time in making his mark at Liverpool, wowing supporters with his passing ability in particular, the midfielder quickly became a fan-favourite. And as the Spanish Rafalution took hold at Anfield, Kopites realised that, in amongst the new signings of Josemi and Antonio Nunez, Benitez had signed a player truly special.
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His first season ended with Alonso writing his name into Reds folklore, scoring their equalising goal in their most famous victory as they famously recovered from 3-0 down to beat AC Milan in Istanbul and win the European Cup for the fifth time. An FA Cup win followed in 2006, before a second Champions League final appearance in 2007.
Yet his performances slowly declined, resulting in his worst season at Anfield in 2007/08. Rumoured to have fallen out with Benitez during the campaign, he ended up limited to just 27 appearances in all competitions.
In his early years at Liverpool, it seemed certain that, given how talented he was, Alonso would only be passing through and he’d be lured away by a La Liga giant sooner rather than later. Yet in the summer of 2008, Benitez was infamously prepared to cash in on his compatriot to finance a move for Gareth Barry.
Such a decision was not popular and Kopites made their feelings known, culminating in his name being chanted from start to finish in an Anfield pre-season friendly against Lazio. With the Reds then failing to agree a fee with Aston Villa for Barry, or receive a suitable bid from the likes of Juventus or Arsenal for Alonso, the midfielder ended up staying put.
What followed in 2008/09 as Liverpool agonisingly missed out on the Premier League title, off the back of winning Euro 2008 with Spain, was the best individual season of the Spaniard’s Anfield career. Making a mockery of any previous doubts, he once and for all turned his early potential into consistent, world class performances.
Alas, Kopites weren’t able to enjoy such displays for long enough. No sooner had Alonso reached such elite status than the expected return to his homeland occurred as Real Madrid signed the midfielder for a - in hindsight - bargain £30m.
Without Alonso, a Liverpool decline set in for numerous reasons which culminated in Benitez losing his job 12 months later. In stark contrast, the midfielder went from strength to strength.
A starring member of a legendary Spain side, he helped them win the World Cup in 2010 as well as Euro 2012 to cement his place as one of his generation’s finest ever players, as Kopites always knew he would be.
Meanwhile, in five seasons at the Bernabeu, he won La Liga, the Champions League and two Copa del Reys. Then finishing his career with three seasons at Bayern Munich, he lifted three Bundesliga titles and a DFB-Pokal.
Boasting three heavyweights of the game in his CV in Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, Xabi Alonso is a legend of the game. Thanks to his involvement in Istanbul, he is an undisputed Reds legend.
Yet truth be told, he only reached such elite status in Madrid and Bavaria after outgrowing Liverpool. Reds fans might love Alonso, as was demonstrated by the reception he received as the star attraction in their latest Legends’ victory over Manchester United, but Anfield never really got to witness him at the peak of his powers. Instead they were left watching on proudly from afar.
As a result, the Spaniard was arguably one of only a handful of players truly deserving of ‘legendary’ status when Liverpool faced the Red Devils on Saturday. With the Reds’ veteran sides now made up of players from the heart of their 30-year drought between being crowned champions of England, this was always inevitable.
Yes, these players had their day. Between them, they won domestic cups, European trophies and fell narrowly short of league titles. But they were bridesmaids at best in contrast to Alonso’s Madrista and Bavarian bride. And of course Jurgen Klopp’s new generation.
These nostalgia-fests, where current age and fitness now outweighs former elite quality, provide a welcome reminder of exactly what the German has achieved at Liverpool since taking over in 2015, and not just by winning every major trophy going. His squad is full of living legends who brought the Premier League home and have been crowned champions of England, Europe and the world.
No longer pretenders and wannabes, their feet are firmly back under the top table. Now the final destination for elite stars, they no longer have to contend with the days when the likes of Alonso were just passing through.
The best example of that comes in the form of the Spaniard’s compatriot, Thiago Alcantara. Team-mates together for both Bayern and Spain, Liverpool’s latest dazzling playmaker was 29 when he traded the Bundesliga for the Premier League back in 2020.
Unlike when the Reds signed potential in Alonso, Klopp’s acquisition of Thiago was one of already established world class quality.
As Alonso oozed class on the legends scene against United, Thiago still does it on a weekly basis in the Premier League and Champions League. With his quality even more clear when he isn’t there, Kopites are enjoying an elite performer at the peak of his powers.
There are similarities between the pair but back when Liverpool signed Alonso, they would never have been in a position to land a player like Thiago from a club like Bayern. How times change.
Fortunately it will be a few years yet until the Reds’ latest Spanish composer is called back for legends duty. Bragging rights over old foes is fine but Thiago still has the biggest prizes to compete for.
And when the time comes for the Spaniard and his current Liverpool team-mates to follow in Alonso’s footsteps and take that step into what will be the most star-studded veterans’ football, Kopites can only hope the conveyor belt continues to deliver and the next set of legends remain what Klopp’s future crop grows beyond.
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