Champions League winner refuses to rule out Liverpool return

Xabi Alonso says Jurgen Klopp is “the man at the moment” but refuses to rule out managing at Anfield in the future.

Alonso will make his managerial debut on Saturday after taking charge of Real Sociedad B in the third tier of Spanish football.

Alonso played at Liverpool for five seasons, where he won the Champions League in 2005, before moving to Real Madrid then Bayern Munich.

The former midfielder says Liverpool is still a special club for him and is very impressed with the job Jurgen Klopp is doing at Anfield.

Alonso told the BBC: “Well at the moment they have an absolutely fantastic manager and we all as Liverpool fans are thrilled with Jurgen [Klopp], with what he’s doing. You could feel he was the man because of the way he embraced the Liverpool culture, the way he connected with the fans – you could see that he could make a great job. Even the best expectations he has fulfilled. He’s the man at the moment.

“Watching the team lifting the Champions League and watching the fans enjoy it as much as we did in 2005, it brought back a lot of memories. We [some of the 2005 team] were in the stadium, old team-mates gathering together again, Stevie [Gerrard], Jerzy [Dudek], Sami [Hyypia], we were together celebrating what they have achieved this year.

“It was really emotional. You know how special Liverpool is, once a red always a red and that’s not a slogan, that’s not a logo – it’s real and we share that belonging.

“Our generation that have been playing in the Champions League for many years, we’re almost taking a step back and taking steps into management. It’s part of the cycle of football but for me it’s great to follow Stevie, to follow Mikel [Arteta], to follow Frank Lampard – what he’s doing and so many young managers that are already there.”