Ex-Liverpool star Joe Allen shied away from the 'Welsh Xavi' nickname he was given by Brendan Rodgers, but an old team-mate thinks his abilities were worthy of the moniker
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Brendan Rodgers and Joe Allen
Brendan Rodgers hailed Joe Allen as the 'Welsh Xavi' when he joined Liverpool in 2012
(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
When Joe Allen signed for Liverpool from Swansea City back in August 2012, he was hailed by Brendan Rodgers as the 'Welsh Xavi'.
While the midfielder would go on to make 130 appearances for the Reds over the next four years, he has since admitted that it was a moniker he struggled to live up to. Allen was lacking regular first-team minutes under Rodgers' successor Jurgen Klopp by the time he left Anfield for Stoke City in July 2016.
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However, a former Welsh international colleague has now said he believes Allen was right up there with their superstar team-mate Gareth Bale in terms of his ability on the ball at the peak of his career.
Alongside Allen and former Real Madrid forward Bale, Hal Robson-Kanu was part of the Wales team which famously made the semi-finals of the Euro 2016 tournament in France. The ex-West Brom striker was asked to name the best players he'd played with during an appearance on former Manchester United and Wrexham goalkeeper Ben Foster's 'Fozcast' podcast.
After initially highlighting Bale and Aaron Ramsey, he said: "I would also say Joe Allen as well. He had a period of 18 months when he was at Liverpool, and Brendan Rodgers referenced him as his Xavi. He was genuinely at an insane level.
"He got hit with injuries and it's difficult when you're at that level to then maintain that. But there was a period where I was just thinking 'goodness me, that is how to manipulate a ball with your feet'. He was a master."
Joe Allen, pictured after scoring his final Liverpool goal in a win over Watford in May 2016
Joe Allen, pictured after scoring his final Liverpool goal in a win over Watford in May 2016
Allen has openly discussed how he found being compared to Barcelona legend Xavi by Rodgers tough to live up to. "There's been a few nicknames floating around," he said in 2016. "It's a dangerous one because I had the 'Welsh Xavi' tag for a while and that didn't really do me too many favours."
He also spoke about how he felt disappointed by the manner of his departure from Liverpool after revealing that he only found out the club had accepted a £13m offer from Stoke from a friend. The Welshman acknowledged he needed to leave the Reds in order to find regular football, but he said the communication from the club 'wasn't great' before the move.
Allen told The Telegraph: "I had a text message off a friend congratulating me about making the move when I didn't even know it was happening at the time. Not knowing whether the club intend to sell you or keep you, especially when you're trying to ask the question, is disappointing.
Barcelona legend Xavi
Barcelona legend Xavi is one of the greatest midfielders to have played the game
"To find out they accepted an offer through the press isn’t the best way of going about business, I don't think. The communication wasn't great but as soon as Liverpool accepted an offer I knew what their intentions were for me."
He added: "Being a regular wasn't going to happen and that's fair enough. If you look at the quality Liverpool have got in midfield, and maybe the age of the players, I think I'd have been waiting for injuries and suspensions."
Allen spent six years at Stoke after leaving Liverpool before returning to Swansea in 2022, where he still plays now. He initially retired from international football in 2023 due to injury before being recalled by manager Craig Bellamy in October last year.
Joe Allen
Joe Allen is widely regarded as one of Wales' best-ever midfielders
Bellamy, who had two spells as a player at Liverpool, believes Allen is one of Wales' best-ever players. "As a person he's the type of profile you want in a squad, just by his leadership skills," Bellamy said at the time.
"I believe Joe has been one of our greatest players and he still has football in him, I see it as common sense really. I spoke to him when I first came into the role and he's a player I was fortunate to play with as well.
"I admired him and he's an exceptional footballer who's still got a lot to give. If he's fit and available and he's willing to be part of Wales it's a no brainer for me really."