Xabi Alonso has compared one of his current Real Madrid stars to his former teammate Steven Gerrard.
The Spaniard played 165 times alongside Gerrard during their time on Merseyside, when they routinely pulled the strings in the Liverpool midfield. The pair formed a reliable partnership that proved instrumental in the 2005 Champions League triumph and FA Cup success a year later.
Alonso has spoken glowingly of Gerrard in the past, referring to him as an “inspiration” and a “legend” in 2016. So his decision to compare Federico Valverde to the former Liverpool captain should be taken as an immense compliment.
“Honestly, I have not seen many footballers with his physical capacity,” Alonso said of the midfielder following Sunday’s Club World Cup victory over Pachuca.
“He reminds me a bit of Steven Gerrard's profile because of the amount of ground he covers and because of his runs and his shot.
“He also reminds me of him because he can play on the right and has no problem adapting to another position. I am convinced that all coaches would like to have a Federico Valverde in the team. You can see the determination that Fede has.”
(ANDREW YATES/AFP via Getty Images)
Gerrard and Alonso formed an excellent on-field relationship at Liverpool (Image: Getty Images)
Valverde netted the final goal in Sunday’s win, the first of Alonso’s Real tenure. But it wasn’t straightforward, with Los Blancos forced to play the majority of the game with 10 men following Raul Asencio’s seventh-minute red card.
Goals from Jude Bellingham, Arda Guler and Valverde ensured Real moved top of Group H.
It was also a maiden victory for Trent Alexander-Arnold since he swapped Anfield for the Bernabeu earlier this summer.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Trent Alexander-Arnold earned his first win as a Real Madrid player (Image: Getty Images)
Alonso has also spoken highly of the new Real right-back in recent days. “He has done it at Liverpool and in the national team,” said the 43-year-old.
“He is a different full-back, not just from the outside lane. He can go inside a little bit and associate. What happens around is important. We have to work on it, but having his foot and his understanding of the game is very positive.”
Alexander-Arnold managed 78 minutes in the sweltering North Carolina heat, having played just over an hour on his Real debut on Wednesday.
The win leaves the Spanish giants needing just a point in their final game to secure passage to the last-16, where Real will meet either Juventus or Manchester City.