By guest writer Thomas Rooney
Upon completing his transfer to Real Madrid from Liverpool, Xabi Alonso has revealed that he had been ‘determined’ to leave the Premier League club for some time.
The Spanish midfielder swapped Anfield for the Bernabeu in a deal reportedly worth £30m and was unveiled as a Real Madrid player last night. He has signed a five-year contract to join fellow summer signings Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka at the club.
Speaking about the move, Alonso admitted that it was a ‘very happy day’ for him because he has made an ‘important step’ in his professional football career. He also revealed how he had been ‘very excited’ for this day to arrive, implying that he had been eyeing a move to Madrid for a while now.
As for his time at Liverpool, Alonso said that although he ‘really enjoyed’ his five years at Anfield and will always be ‘grateful to the fans’ who always supported him, he knew before the end of last season that it was time to move on.
The 27-year-old decided a few months ago that he needed a ‘fresh and personal challenge’, then Real Madrid came along with their offer and Alonso’s mind was made up. There is no way that he was going to start the season in anything other than the famous white shirt.
What sort of player are Real Madrid getting with Alonso though? Well, he is a very gifted midfielder, of that there is no doubt. He can win the ball well, spread the play well and chip in with the odd spectacular goal. Complete midfielders are hard to come by, but Alonso comes close.
In terms of the role he will play in this Real Madrid team, it has to be considered that there are much more threatening attacking options than Alonso. Therefore, it is likely that he will perform the ‘Makelele role’ by sitting in midfield, winning possession and setting the likes of Kaka, Ronaldo, Robbin and Raul on their way.
Should he manage to succeed in this role, he will know that he made the right choice to joinReal Madrid. Simply because, with him pulling the strings, his new team are going to take some stopping this season. In all competitions. The Spanish football odds certainly look interesting now that he's arrived, that's for sure!
