Xabi Alonso compares Real Madrid star to former Liverpool team-mate Steven Gerrard

Xabi Alonso has hailed the qualities of Federico Valverde and has likened the Real Madrid star to Steven Gerrard - whom he played alongside during his Liverpool days.

Valverde has continued to blossom and assisted the winning goal in the Champions League final in 2022, where Real downed the Reds in Paris. Alonso is still getting to grip with his Los Blancos squad as he gets the chance to see them up close and personal.

The Uruguayan, whilst not being one of the headline names in the starting XI at the Bernabeu, has proved a crucial cog for the Spanish giants and he's already made an impression on his new manager.

Alonso has compared Valverde to Gerrard, whom he played with at Anfield for five years. The pair were hugely influential in midfield with Gerrard regarded as possibly the greatest player in Liverpool history after spending nearly his whole career with his boyhood team.

The Reds icon helped deliver Champions League glory in 2005 and throughout his time at Anfield, under several different managers, was able to excel in a number of different midfield positions with Valverde's versatility also proving a huge asset for Real.

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The Spanish manager said: "I haven't seen many players with his physical performance. He reminds me of someone like Steven Gerrard. He can play anywhere, and I'm very happy to be coaching him. All coaches would like to have a Valverde on the team. He got rid of the bad taste in his mouth from the penalty the other day today, and his determination was evident in his celebration."

Valverde moved to Real from Penarol in his homeland when he was still a teenager and has gone on to play more than 300 times for Los Blancos. During that period he has won La Liga three times and the European Cup on two occasions.

Real are currently in Club World Cup action and, after an underwhelming draw in their first match with Al-Hilal, they saw off Pachuca with Valverde among the scorers. Alonso arrives having previously led Bayer Leverkusen to the German title but maintained his style won't be implemented overnight.

He said: "There are many, but the main thing is to develop an understanding so we can recognise ourselves in each match. That takes time. We also want to develop the culture of using context. We need that game intelligence, and today we had to change quickly. After the hydration break, we talked, and from then on, we played a great game."

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