Goodbye, Alonso!

As an avid Liverpool supporter, I am sure fans of the club will be saddened by the departure of Xabi Alonso, the experienced Spanish 27-year old Reds midfielder. Real Madrid snapped Xabi up for a reported fee of 30 million euros, being the eighth player bought by the Galacticos squad, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Karim Benzema. Xabi was Rafa Benitez first signing when he took over the reins of Anfield, buying Xabi for 10.5 million pounds from the Spanish club Real Sociedad in 2004. Xabi is also a regular with the Spanish squad since 2003 and helped the Spaniards win the Euro 2008 championship. He was also instrumental in the Reds victory in the unforgettable Champions League final against AC Milan in 2005 and in the English FA Cup the following year. After five seasons with Liverpool, Xabi has just undergone a medical test with Real Madrid and has signed a five year deal. During his days with the Reds, he was famous for his skills and ball control and is seen by Real Madrid president, Florentiono Perez, as the midfield player to balance his defensive line-up. I wish Xabi all the best and thank him for his services during his stint at Liverpool. He will certainly light up many Barnebeu nights.