Xabi Alonso and the never-ending love story at Liverpool

After the 35-year-old midfielder announced the end of his football career at the end of this season, former player Jamie Carragher wrote an article about his friend - former teammate at Liverpool - in the Sports Mail.

Alonso (left) and Carragher when they were playing for Liverpool.

Alonso said in November 2014: “I went from my hometown team to the best club in England, then to the best club in Spain, and then to the best team in Germany. It was a beautiful career.”

And this summer, his beautiful career will come to an end, after years playing for Sociedad, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. To date, Alonso's collection includes 16 major and minor titles, notably the 2010 World Cup and two Champions League Cups. He also has 114 caps for Spain.

Alonso's Top 5 Goals for Liverpool

Xabi deserves all the praise the football world has been showered with after announcing his intention to retire on March 9. The decision was not a surprise, but it was another sign that the golden era of midfielders was almost over, with Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard having already retired.

The trophies, performances and accolades have all shown just how important Xabi was to his clubs, but what I’m writing here is to give you an insight into why Xabi is so revered, and to give you a better understanding of how his decision to leave Liverpool in 2009 has impacted the club’s modern history.

Whenever I think of Xabi, my mind goes back to his first training session with Liverpool at Melwood in August 2004. “Wow, I can’t fault him,” I always say when I think back. Rafa Benitez had been praising Alonso before he arrived at the training ground, and you immediately understood why when he started training.

The speed he puts into a pass and the way he delivers the ball shows he is a top player. He is a master passer for Liverpool. In one of his first games for the team, I saw a passing performance of the level I had never seen before. As a defender, if you give him the ball, you are giving it to the safest hands.

Alonso can handle the ball well with both feet. Just look at his penalty kick in the 2005 Champions League final to see that clearly. His right foot shot was parried by the goalkeeper, then he quickly and accurately hit the rebound with his left foot to make it 3-3. Those wonderful feet have scored many spectacular goals for our club, with two of his 19 goals for Liverpool coming from the halfway line.

Alonso equalized 3-3 in the match against AC Milan

But there was something else about him that you probably didn't see on the pitch. Xabi fit in at Liverpool. He and fellow Spaniard Pepe Reina formed a great bond in the dressing room between the new boys from Spain and the old group of me, Steven Gerrard, Sami Hyypia, Didi Hamann and John Arne Riise.

He was a strong character, loved by the fans. So when Benitez wanted to sell him in the summer of 2008 to make way for Gareth Barry, there was a huge uproar among the fans. In a pre-season friendly that year, against Lazio at Anfield, Liverpool fans chanted: “You can stick Gareth Barry up your arse.”

Benitez's intention at that time was to sell Xabi for around 37 million dollars and buy Barry in his place for half the transfer fee. The reason the coach gave to convince the club was that Barry was an English player and could play in two or three different positions. But at that time, only Juventus and Arsenal were interested in Xabi.

However, when Liverpool learned that the clubs interested in buying Xabi in the summer of 2008 were only willing to pay a fee of just over £18 million, while Aston Villa were only willing to sell Barry for just over £36 million, they decided not to make the deal. I, along with many others at the club, was very happy that Xabi stayed. But the incident at that time caused problems, between coach Benitez and Xabi, and between Benitez and the board.

Alonso will be remembered not only for the trophies he won, but also for his playing style and personality.

Xabi did not leave in the summer of 2008, and it was a pivotal moment for Liverpool.. His form was even better than his brilliant first season at Anfield. We finished second behind Man Utd, but when Real Madrid came calling in the summer of 2009, I immediately feared he would decide to leave because the wounds of the previous 12 months had not yet healed.

I don't see any problem with Xabi wanting to join Real, because for Spanish players it's the pinnacle of their career. But I don't understand why Benitez didn't hold on to the olive branch to make things work.

*Alonso's perfect passes

Benitez had his best team in his five years at Anfield. We were close to winning the Premier League, and perhaps even reaching another Champions League final. So why would he continue to fight Xabi? He had won the first battle in the summer of 2008 by improving his form. Furthermore, Xabi was still under contract, so Liverpool did not have to sell him if they wanted to keep him. They had done the same in the summer of 2009 when they refused to let Javier Mascherano leave for Barca. But Xabi was sold to Real, and things were never really the same for Liverpool after Xabi left Anfield.

The team suffered, and Benitez left after that season. Alberto Aquilani, Xabi’s replacement, arrived from Roma with an injury that kept him out of action until October 2009. He was not fit to fill the void left by Xabi. The team’s system was broken.

Alonso has played for the biggest teams in the three powerful footballing nations today: England, Spain and Germany.

Liverpool’s basic game plan was: I would pass the ball from defence to Xabi, he would pass it to Steven Gerrard, and the ball would eventually find its way to striker Fernando Torres. It was a quick passing game, and Xabi’s perfect touch made it all work. But Aquilani could never do the same. Xabi’s departure affected every position in the team. Our loss was Real Madrid’s gain.

Xabi's dream farewell match would be the Champions League final in Cardiff on June 3. I predict with certainty that when Xabi finishes his playing career at Bayern, he will not disappear from the football world. He has the potential to continue contributing.

I can see him managing a top club, or perhaps becoming a sporting director. But I also know he won’t rush into any post-retirement decisions. When June rolls around, he deserves the chance to take a break and reflect on what has been a wonderful career.

According to VNE