Steven Gerrard has described Liverpool’s decision to sell Xabi Alonso as ‘heartbreaking’ and a ‘step back’ for the club.
Alonso had played a key role in Liverpool’s push for the Premier League title within the 2008-09 season where Rafa Benitez’s side finished second, 4 points behind champions Manchester United.
But after a fall-out with Benitez, Alonso pushed to go away Liverpool in the summertime of 2009 and he ended up joining Real Madrid in a £30 million deal.
Gerrard, who flourished in his midfield partnership with Alonso, believes Liverpool became a worse team after they sold the Spaniard.
‘On the time Liverpool weren’t splashing essentially the most money but that was the moment I felt you bought the closest to us,’ Gary Neville told Gerrard on The Overlap.
‘I believe it was when Alonso left, I felt that was an enormous kind of…’
Gerrard interjected: ‘Step back.’
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Neville replied: ‘A large step back, and also you brought within the lad from Italy, [Alberto] Aquilani.’
Gerrard said: ‘That was heartbreaking as well. And in addition the [Fernando] Torres one as well. Because you’re thinking that to yourself we’ve put a lot in to attempt to close, it felt like we were getting closer and then you definitely take considered one of those big signings out.
‘It could set you back, it might set you back an extended time, especially once you’ve played with them and you’re thinking that they’re the individuals who can win games for you.
‘He [Alonso] was such an enormous player for us, how we played, everyone sees him as a great player from the surface but once you’re on the pitch with him, he was top.’
Jamie Carragher said: ‘We’ve each got unbelievable respect for Rafa [Benitez], he took your game, you said, to a different level, took mine to a very different level by way of being centre-back and Champions League final, I used to be blissful to simply be a Liverpool player, playing every week.
‘I at all times look back on the Alonso one, it goes back 12 months before, it got a bit messy, Alonso wanted to go away at that stage because he wasn’t playing as much. Rafa was attempting to bring Gareth Barry in, it was almost going to be a little bit of a swap, it doesn’t occur. Then Alonso has an impressive season, we almost win the league, we get close, it appears like an awesome team. But I have a look at Rafa there and it was almost like he desired to win this fight with Alonso about staying or going. I just thought, you’ve had that fight, you’ve won the fight since the player is playing amazing, just move this team forward, after which it got to the summer and it was like, ‘right, let’s carry on this fight again’.
‘Don’t get me incorrect, Real Madrid began coming for Xabi but get him to sign a brand new contract, or simply say he’s not going, we’re that close here.
‘It was almost like a private thing. Rafa was really good, he at all times had the fans onside but he almost lost, Alonso had won the battle, I just feel it could’ve been sorted between the 2 of them.’
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