Xabi Alonso has shared the advice he gave Thiago Alcantara before he latter signed for Liverpool in 2020.
Speaking to liverpoolfc.com today, Alonso said he spoke to Thiago at great length about his potential move to Anfield.
“We talked a lot that summer because he was thinking about the option,” said the former Liverpool midfielder. “I said, ‘Thiago, you love football, you’re in a great club, you’re in Bayern and you’ve achieved great things, but Liverpool is pure football and you’re going to enjoy it as much as you have done. If you feel it’s the right moment for a new chapter, you won’t get better places than Liverpool.'”
Alonso, who played alongside Thiago at Bayern Munich as well as with the Spanish national side, also went out of his way to praise the 31-year-old.
“You could see that he’s a different player,” he said. “He’s a different talent because he’s competitive but at the same time he has those magic Brazilian actions that are not that European. He’s competitive but he can do different things. He was a great player at Bayern and he continues being consistent and being a great player at Liverpool.”
Xabi helps Liverpool get their man
What an endorsement it must have been for Thiago to get from a player like Alonso. The two are from different generations, but overlapped a great deal in their careers.
As one of the best passers around during his career, Thiago must have looked up to his older colleague. The Liverpool no.6 isn’t shy to pick a pass himself.
Further to that though, Alonso is one of the most respected players of a quite unbelievable generation of Spanish footballers.
As a result, his recommendation must have carried great weight with his younger countryman.
In that respect, we can only thank Xabi. He helped an outrageously good footballer choose to join Liverpool at a time when he really didn’t have to leave Bayern.
Since then, injuries have been a feature of Thiago’s time at Liverpool. Regardless, he has still made a huge impact. After taking a little time to settle in, his quality has been so evident for the past 18 months.
Never has that been starker than when he returned during the second half of last week’s dismal defeat against Napoli.
Thiago’s presence in midfield made Liverpool look instantly better. If they’re to emerge from their current slump with anything left to play for this season, then they’re going to need him more than ever.
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