The Spaniard will return to Anfield with Kenny Dalglish in⌋ the second leg of the Legends of the North ⌈. Having helped his team lift the Champions League title, FA Cup title and European Super Cup title while playing for Liverpool from 2004 to 2009, He can't wait to return to Merseyside. Liverpool's official website took the opportunity to find Alonso and talked about his retirement life, coaching experience and role in Thiago's transfer in an interview. The following is a compilation of interviews.
Liverpool Official Website: Harvey, how excited are you that you'll be back at Anfield later this month?
Alonso: It's exciting every time you get the chance to come back to Anfield, and for me it's been years since I last. I'm really looking forward to being back at this stadium and reuniting with the fans, it's always a pleasure and you'll be honored to have played there before."
Liverpool official website: Is this your first return to Anfield since the legendary charity match against Bayern Munich in 2018?
Alonso: Yes, the last time was another charity match against Bayern. I haven't been back to Anfield since. I've been busy with my coaching work, and now I have more time. You'll always miss places that once made you feel happy, and places that made you have good times and fond memories. You'll always miss it – especially after a certain period of time has passed. [The charity match at the end of the month] is definitely going to be enjoyable and I'm excited to be embracing that feeling again. I remember the first time I stepped on the pitch, you could feel the soul of the pitch. That was the thing that excited me the most – to come back to Anfield and feel the unique charm of this place.
Liverpool official website: You played for Liverpool and Bayern that time, this time against Manchester United, it should not be like this, right?
Alonso: I guess I won't be so popular this time because I played for Bayern at the time! It's great for charity, and the support for this type of event is always amazing in this city. I'm pretty sure we can help a lot of people, and that's the most important thing.
Liverpool: What have you been busy with over the past few months? You left the coaching position for Real Sociedad B...
Alonso: After last season, I was always watching football in the summer, but not closely. But now the game has restarted again and I'm watching a lot of football games now. I want to be able to visit, keep learning, and constantly update the way we do things. Use this time to do nothing just sitting in a chair. No, no, I want to use this time to be able to prepare myself better for the next chapter, I don't know what will happen but I will choose what is best for me.
Liverpool: What do you think about coaching? Everyone says I did well in three seasons at Real Sociedad...
Alonso: I love it. The job is demanding but well worth it. It's a different kind of role, but my role is to help the young athletes of Real Sociedad progress. They did a great job and we were promoted to the second division of Spain – a great achievement. I enjoyed this time very much. You're playing in a different way, you're going to spend more time in the preparation phase, but you're going to feel very engaged in the game. As John Cruyff said, the best thing about football is to be able to play and the second is coaching.
Liverpool: In that position, do you appreciate the elite-level coaches and the coaches who have coached you?
Alonso: I always do that, not because I'm a coach now. Because my father was also a coach, I think this idea originated when I was younger and I respected them and admired them. I tried to approach them because it would help to do that in that moment (as a player), even in that moment (as a coach).
Liverpool official website: Just talk about Klopp, is he a coach you admire?
Alonso: There's no doubt about it. I loved the game against Borussia Dortmund when I played against Bayern in Madrid and you can see that he was special then. I remember when he signed with Liverpool, the first thought in my head was that he was the right guy. We once played a liverpool-mainz match in Mainz (pre-season friendly in 2006) and in the show he mentioned that his favourite stadium was Anfield, and that was a thing that stuck in my mind. When he signed with Liverpool, I was thinking, 'He kept thinking about that, he was the right person for the job'. After that, what he accomplished, the wealth Jurgen created here, and the inspiration he brought to the players, the club, the fans, to everyone, is a treasure for Liverpool.
One of your former team-mates, Thiago, is now part of this squad and has he done anything to surprise you when he's playing with you, like he's doing now?
Alonso: You can see that he's a different player, he's a different talent because he's competitive, but at the same time he has those magical Brazilian moves, those things that aren't very European. He's competitive but can do different things. He was a great player at Bayern and after coming to Liverpool he continued his steady performances and became a good player here.
Liverpool official website: He said that he asked you what you said about Liverpool before signing the contract, and you must have said a lot of good things...
Alonso: We said a lot of things that summer, and he was thinking about that option. I said, 'Thiago, you love football, you're at a great club, you're playing at Bayern and you're doing a good job.' But Liverpool football is pure and you'll get the same enjoyment here as you get what you accomplish. If you feel this is the right time to start a new chapter, you won't get a better choice than Liverpool. ’
Liverpool official website: You are still contributing to Liverpool after leaving...
Alonso: Well, one-day Red Army, lifelong Red Army — it's not just a totem, I think that's the truth. It's not just me who thinks so, I think most of us are very close to this club. No matter where you are in the world, Liverpool fans will remember you, they make you feel closer to the club, and that's the best place to be in Liverpool – supported by all the fans and all the families around the world.