Benitez hails Alonso displays
29 Oct 2008 - 07:35:37
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has praised midfielder Xabi Alonso for his excellent form since a summer move to Juventus failed to materialise.
The 26-year-old Spain international had seemed set to join the Serie A giants as the Reds sought to raise cash to prise Gareth Barry away from Aston Villa, but with that deal shelved Alonso has stayed put and hit top form.
Benitez commented: "What happened in the summer with Xabi Alonso is just football, and you always have to try to change things.
"Maybe I will now tell half a dozen players that I may sell them, maybe they will all start to play as well as Xabi!
"It doesn't matter whether I change my mind about something or the player changes his mind. What matters is that as a manager if I have a good player, a good professional, I will use that player for the benefit of the team.
"He is our player and we will try to take the best from him. He is showing the quality we know he has. Always he is a good professional, a good player.
"We did not sell Xabi in the summer because the price was not good enough for such a talented player.
"That is simple, this is a football market and now he is showing character and we have a very positive situation with competition for every place in the side being very high."