Xabi Alonso was an excellent footballer who shone for some of the biggest clubs during his career. The former midfielder represented Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich among others on the pitch and he was a force to be reckoned with in the middle of the park. He won a plethora of trophies at both club and international level and he was a key figure during Spain’s reign of dominance in the late 2000s and early 2010s.
Once he retired from the game, he transitioned into management and has since shown he’s just as good in the hot seat as he was on the pitch. After spending time managing the Real Sociedad B team, he moved to Bayer Leverkusen in 2022 and took the German side to heights they’d never reached before. He guided the club to an undefeated season in the Bundesliga, helping them win their first ever league title.
Now, he’s on his way to manage Real Madrid and has gone from strength to strength in his role. All in all, he’s demonstrated his incredible football IQ repeatedly over the years. So, when he shares his opinion on anything related to the beautiful game, it’s worth listening to. That’s why the Spaniard’s praise for one English player is so significant.
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Alonso Was a Big Fan of Michael Carrick
He thought the midfielder was good enough to play for Spain
During his time at Bayern Munich, Alonso spoke publicly about Michael Carrick and he heaped plenty of praise on the then-Manchester United man. He admitted he saw a lot of himself in the star and thought he was good enough to even play for a country like Spain, who were coming off the back of three straight major international tournament triumphs.
Carrick had been playing for the Red Devils for nine years, having joined from Tottenham Hotspur in 2006 and he played 464 games for the Red Devils, becoming one of the most underrated players in Premier League history in the process. Carrick was a fine servant in the middle of the park for United and Alonso was clearly a fan. Speaking in an interview with the Sunday Times, with quotes shared via Sky Sports, the Spaniard said:
“I’ve always seen myself in Carrick. He could play in the Spain national team. And in United, he has been a very important player. I remember him and [Paul] Scholes were like a perfect machine, because Carrick was always in the right position and Scholes was moving around, doing his special things.
“But in the national team Carrick doesn’t play that important a role. I could see him being an important figure in making the team better, but it doesn’t happen.”
Despite his success with the Red Devils, Carrick’s international career with England never reached the same heights. He was often a victim of being below the likes of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard in the pecking order. It feels safe to assume that he’d have seen much more success if Alonso had been in charge of the Three Lions during his prime.
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt and accurate as of 29/05/2025