Crouch names Gerrard 'was going to give the biggest rollicking of all time'

Published on: 04 April 2020

Former Liverpool striker Peter Crouch has paid tribute to the talents of his former Reds teammate Xabi Alonso, describing the Spanish midfielder as "class."

Crouch and Alonso spent three years together at Anfield between 2005-2008, during which time the duo help Liverpool reach the 2007 UEFA Champions League Final against AC Milan in Athens.

Two years prior to that particular final, Alonso played a vital role in Liverpool's famous 2005 UEFA Champions League Final success against Milan in Istanbul, which, of course, saw the Reds recover from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 and eventually win the contest on penalties, with Alonso scoring the Reds' third goal to complete the comeback.

The Spaniard spent five years at Anfield, with his time at the club producing a collection of fine memories and spectacular goals.

And now, Crouch, who also created plenty of Liverpool memories of his own, has lifted the lid on the qualities Alonso had, including what he was like in training.

Crouch, in a Q&A that has been published by the Mail, said: "One word comes to my mind when I think about Xabi – class.

"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.

"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 [Gerrard] was going to give him the biggest rollicking of all time… until he saw the ball sail into the net from 70 yards."

Alonso left Liverpool in 2009, joining La Liga giants Real Madrid, for whom he claimed a second UEFA Champions League winners medal.

Source: m.allfootballapp.com

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