German football club Bayern Munich midfielder Xabi Alonso on Thursday described former Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard as an inspiration.
Gerrard brought the curtain down on his Liverpool career with a 1-6 defeat against Stoke City on Sunday and will soon depart for the US to join up Major League Soccer (MLS) champions LA Galaxy.
Alonso was present for many of Gerrard's finest hours, including winning the Champions League in 2005 and the FA Cup the following year, and has hailed the role played by the hometown hero.
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"It was so inspirational. When Stevie was on your side you knew that he could have those magic moments that we enjoyed. I remember the goal against Olympiacos (2004-05 Champions League group stage) or the FA Cup final goal against West Ham United that came out of nothing," Alonso, 33, was quoted as saying by Liverpool's official website.
"I remember in the last years, the connection that he had with Fernando Torres was vital for us. For me, he's been one of the players that I most enjoyed playing alongside," the former Real Madrid star, who won the FIFA 2010 World Cup with Spain, concluded.