Peter Crouch has revealed just how good a player Xabi Alonso was when the two retired stars were at Liverpool together.
Alonso was one of the heroes of Liverpool’s ‘Miracle of Istanbul’ Champions League triumph in 2005 – when they won the final on penalties after the midfielder had completed his side’s comeback from 3-0 down, firing home the rebound after seeing a spot-kick saved by AC Milan keeper Dida.
Known for his sublime passing and his impressive long-range goals, the Basque ace also won the FA Cup, UEFA Super Cup and Community Shield with Liverpool, before leaving in 2009 after five years at Anfield.
He joined Real Madrid and cemented his reputation as one of the world’s best midfielders, enjoying huge success in a Spain team that dominated world football, and also going on to a trophy-laden spell with Bayern Munich.
Now Crouch, who played with Alonso at Liverpool from 2005 until 2008, has hailed his former teammate as “class” – and recalled the time Steven Gerrard was about to dish out a rollicking to the Spaniard until he scored a wonder goal.
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“One word comes to my mind when I think about Xabi – class,” said Crouch, in a Q&A with fans published by the Daily Mail.
“Everything he did was done with a touch of panache, on and off the pitch. He came to Liverpool from Real Sociedad but he had no problem settling into the dressing room, he mixed with everyone.
“In training, he would rap these short balls into your feet and expect you to deal with it. You would then see him strike these beautiful 50-yard passes that would hit their target like a laser.
“To see him in shooting practice was also a sight to behold.
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“We had this drill where the midfielders – whether it would be Xabi, Steven Gerrard or Didi Hamann – would arrive on the edge of the box after a ball was crossed in from out wide and the quality of their finishing was just immaculate.
“The sound of the connection illustrated the level of the strike.
“That’s not to say he didn’t drive us mad at times. He used to take on shots from the halfway line at Melwood, with varying success.
“The first time he repeated it in a game – at Luton in the FA Cup – Stevie was going to give him the biggest rollicking of all time… until he saw the ball sail into the net from 70 yards.”
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After joining Madrid from Liverpool, Alonso earned a second Champions League winners’ medal in 2014 as well as helping Los Blancos to a La Liga title, two Copa del Rey triumphs and the Spanish Super Cup.
He helped Spain win three major titles in a row in his country’s most illustrious era, as Euro 2008 and 2012 triumphs sandwiched their 2010 World Cup win.
And Alonso still wasn’t done there, joining Bayern in 2014 and winning three consecutive Bundesliga titles with the German giants.
Now 38, Alonso is manager of Real Sociedad B after gaining experience coaching Real Madrid’s under-14s.
