Liverpool target Xabi Alonso left Leverkusen star saying 'f***ing hell' in training

May 20, 2024

Xabi Alonso has been hailed as a "wonderful person" by an impressed member of his Bayer Leverkusen squad.

With Jurgen Klopp leaving his position as Liverpool manager at the end of this season, there’s widespread speculation as to whom will succeed him. After years of success going head-to-head with one of the greatest coaches football has seen in Manchester City chief Pep Guardiola, whomever takes over from the German has a huge task on their hands.

However, there aren't many better jobs out there than the Anfield helm at present, and former Liverpool hero Alonso is being strongly tipped to be their new man on the touchline. Alonso has guided Leverkusen to a 10-point Bundesliga lead over Bayern Munich - where the Spaniard ended his playing career - and his side are still yet to be beaten in all competitions this season.

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The 42-year-old looks set to be the next big thing in coaching. And Leverkusen goalkeeper Patrick Pentz, currently on loan at Brondby in Denmark, only has good things to say about his boss.

“He is a wonderful person,” Pentz told Tipsbladet. “He talks a lot and makes you feel important to the team, even if you don’t play many minutes. It’s just great to see him on the field when he trains. He hasn’t lost the ball yet when we play ‘rondo’ and it’s just great to see a player like him on the field because he’s just a huge legend."

Do you back Alonso as Liverpool's ideal Klopp replacement this summer? Let us know in the comments section below.

Alonso made 143 appearances for Liverpool and won the Champions League and FA Cup during his time there. And Pentz also recalled a time when Alonso showed off his “incredible” natural footballing ability in one particular training session.

“We sat on the grass around the halfway line and Sardar Azmoun tried to hit a small goal from about 40 metres away,” Pentz said. “He tried four, five times. Then the coach came and Kerem Demirbay said, ‘Coach, you try’ and threw the ball to him, and Alonso half-volleyed the ball perfectly into the middle of the small goal.

“We said, ‘f***ing hell – this guy is just a baller’ and he was just like, ‘Yep, that’s normal for me.' I’ll never forget it because it just shows his class.

"The feeling of his foot hitting the ball. I could try it all day and I might hit it once out of 20 attempts. On his first try he half-volleyed it, and it was just incredible.”

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