Xabi Alonso: My close bond with Liverpool will never be forgotten

Xabi Alonso strolls in, his sense of timing as impeccable as the weight on one of his passes.

For the former Liverpool midfielder, the international break provides the opportunity to take stock and prepare himself for one final push as Bayern chase glory on three fronts.

At the end of the season the popular Spaniard will bring the curtain down on his illustrious career. It’s been some journey from boyhood club Real Sociedad to memorable trophy-laden spells with three of European football’s true heavyweights, as well as unprecedented glory on the international stage.

During an exclusive 40-minute interview with the ECHO, Alonso provided a fascinating insight into nearly two decades at the highest level, the highs and lows of life with the Reds, his decision to join Real Madrid in 2009 and what the future holds once he has hung up his boots.

It might be nearly eight years since the 35-year-old left Liverpool - but what’s clear is that his bond with the club and the city remains as strong as ever.

“Liverpool is still a big part of my life and always will be,” Alonso told the ECHO.

“I still feel very attached to the club, even not being there, and I still follow the club.

“I stay in contact with friends I have in Liverpool. It’s not a normal club, it’s so special and very important to me.”

A visit to Liverpool next season with his son Jontxu, who was born in the city in 2008, has already been pencilled in.

"That’s 100 per cent sure," he said.

"We are really looking forward to going back. I have heard great things about the new Main Stand.

"My son is desperate to go. He’s Liverpool born and always asks: ‘Dad. when are we going to Liverpool?’

"I say: ‘Okay, but at the moment I have busy weekends! We will go, don’t worry.’"

A £10.7million signing from Sociedad in the summer of 2004, Alonso proved to be an instant hit on the Kop. Part of Rafa Benitez’s Champions League winning side of 2005, he went on to lift the FA Cup in Cardiff 12 months later.

"I really loved it from the first moment,” he said. “The expectations were high but the moments and the feelings were even better.

“The mystique of coming down that tunnel at Anfield, touching the sign, watching the Kop signing You’ll Never Walk Alone. Having that made it easier to have such a close attachment and strong commitment with the club and the fans.

“I’ve never pretended to be someone I am not. I have always tried to be a normal one.

“The personality of Liverpool people is very particular. They like you to be one of them. If you are in the bar, they offer to get you a pint. They want you to feel welcome. I felt that from the very beginning.”

His time at Anfield was followed by five seasons at Real Madrid where he won La Liga and the Champions League for a second time. There was also the small matter of two Euros and a World Cup triumph wih Spain.

Since signing for Bayern in 2014 he’s clinched back-to-back Bundesliga crowns. Now he wants to finish with a flourish.

Carlo Ancelotti’s men are runaway leaders in the Bundesliga, in the semi-finals of the German Cup against Borussia Dortmund and facing a mouthwatering Champions League quarter-final with Real Madrid. If everything goes to plan then Alonso’s swansong will be the showpiece final in Cardiff on June 3.

“It’s exciting,” he admitted.

“A big month is coming now in April. It’s going to be make or break but that’s where you want to be.

“What it means to me to welcome Real Madrid to the Allianz and then to go back to the Bernabeu is really special. That excitement is the best thing about being a football player.”

It’s what he will miss most but Alonso insists the time is right to retire this summer. A lucrative final stint overseas just didn’t appeal.

“There wasn’t one moment when I decided, it was a process for a while,” he added.

“I have always thought I wanted to take the decision myself, not to be pushed to retire from football.

“Of course it’s not easy because I’ve been involved in the game for such a long time. It’s going to be a big change in my life. But I’d rather do it this way and rather do it in this moment than doing it too late.”

A desire to go out at the top?

“Yeah, yeah, that’s what I wanted to try to be able to do. To leave at the top. I’m already 35 years of age.

“I’m happy that I’m still playing for Bayern, fighting and challenging for all the titles. So far things have gone very well. Hopefully there are still some very good things still to come.”

Few players have ever been so universally admired, achieved so much success in three different countries and played for so many elite managers from Benitez to Manuel Pellegrini, Jose Mourinho, Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola.

“I have been lucky enough to be at great clubs from my hometown club to Liverpool to Real Madrid to Bayern Munich,” Alonso said.

“For me, I’ve played for the best team in England, the best team in Spain and the best team in Germany. That’s what I wanted to have - a nice career. I’ve played with great players and worked with great managers, I’ve learned a lot from all of them.

“I’ve been lucky but I have earned that luck. I’ve been in the right place at the right moment a few times. I would never have dreamed to have had such a nice career as this. I like football and this is like a nice football journey.”

Source: Liverpool Echo

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