Xabi Alonso
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Xabi Alonso
Known as Xabi Alonso the full name for this Real Madrid player is Xabier Alonso Olano. His life was surrounded by the game from a very early age. His father was a great player and he always knew that those were the footsteps that he wanted to follow in. His father would bring him along to the training center where Alonso was able to meet some of the best players.
Some of the things they taught him were the value of passing the ball. That was important as too many players only focus on making that ultimate goal. By being a great passer though he quickly showed that he was reliable and that he was a key to team playing that would eventually result in goals occurring.
Xabi Alonso Early Years
Xabi Alonso decided early on that he wanted to be in the position of a defensive midfielder. It was a decision that his skills were well fitted for and that his father was very proud of. When he was 15 years old he went through an exchange program so that he could learn to speak English.
He also played football during that time that further sparked his interest in a professional career. When Xabi Alonso was only 18 years old he got the chance to do so. He played in small clubs though so that he would have the chance to play more. It was a decision that he had gone over with his father. They decided that this would be a wonderful stepping stone for him to gain more experience.
By the time he was 19 though he was the team manager of the Real Sociedad team. This was astonishing to him but the coach felt that he was honest, he was energetic, and that he could be a valuable resource for recruiting additional quality players for the team. He continued to be a very bright star on the team until 2004.
Xabi Alonso Succesful Career
That is when Xabi Alonso made a substantial leap to the larger league and was signed with Liverpool. For the 2004 to 2005 season he was a starter. The team was under a great deal of tension though due to a new coach and the introduction of new styles of playing. It was tough on Alonso and the other players.
In 2006 Xabi Alonso was named to the Spanish squad for the World Cup. The first goal of the game was scored by him. However, it wasn’t enough for the team to walk away the winner and that created a wedge for him and his coach that only got worse over time.
Against all odds Xabi Alonso pushed along to learn the regiment and to help his teammates to do so as well. By 2009 though he had enough and was ready for something new. That is when Alonso requested to move to the Real Madrid team. In August of 2009 that request was accepted. He was given the #22 jersey for the team and was very excited about being able to play for them.
It is believed that he was conflicted about leaving his old team. Yet it was the tension with the coach that drove him to do so, and not that he didn’t love the team he was on. It was duly noted that in the years sense he left Liverpool they haven’t fared as well as they did when he was one of their starters.
Xabi Alonso continues to get top praise from the Real Madrid coach based on his attitude, playing abilities, and the way he rallies the team to work as a unit. For the 2010 to 2011 season he has been very happy with the leadership of new coach Jose Mourinho. His number was also changed beginning this season to #14.
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