Steven Gerrard predicted Liverpool player would be 'the next Xabi Alonso' and he got it badly wrong

Steven Gerrard had high hopes for the player who replaced Xabi Alonso at Liverpool but the move did not go to plan.

Alonso signed for the Reds in 2004 for a fee of £10.5 million and alongside Gerrard, won the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FA Cup.

After 210 appearances, he returned to Spain with a £30 million switch to Real Madrid - playing 236 times and adding a further five trophies to his collection.

Liverpool moved immediately to fill the void left by Alonso, identifying Alberto Aquilani as the perfect candidate to slot into their midfield.

They paid £18 million to secure the Italy international's signature and despite a difficult period adapting to life on Merseyside after signing following an operation on ankle injury, Gerrard was extremely complimentary about Aquilani and compared him to Alonso.

Aquilani was highly rated by Steven Gerrard. Image: Getty

“He sees a pass, he’s on the same wavelength and he can dictate the tempo of a game. I don’t want to tempt fate, but he’s very similar to Xabi,” Gerrard told Zoo Magazine in January 2010, as per This Is Anfield.

“It’s going to take Alberto a while to get up to speed, with his injury problems, but the boy is a player, there’s no two ways about it."

Unfortunately, Aquilani was unable to get over his persistent injury issues and the midfielder played just 18 times as Liverpool finished seventh in the Premier League.

When Rafa Benitez was replaced by Roy Hodgson in the summer, Aquilani returned to Italy with loans at Juventus and AC Milan before later joining Fiorentina permanently in 2012.

He then turned out for Sporting CP, Pescara, Sassuolo and Las Palmas and after being released from the latter - and spending one year without a club - he retired from football in 2019 at the age of 35.

Aquilani played just one season with Liverpool. Image: Getty

Aquilani assessed tough time at Liverpool

In 2020, Aquilani discussed his brief and forgettable period at Liverpool in an interview with The Guardian, where he said that he had never paid attention to comparisons with Alonso.

He explained: "That was a journalists thing – ‘Liverpool sell Alonso and sign Aquilani to replace him’. I never saw it that way. Xabi was a great player but I was comfortable with my quality. Also, I was a different player to him – more offensive.”

Despite never getting going in England, Aquilani revealed that he had no regrets about the decision he chose to make as a 25-year-old and looks back with fondness.

Aquilani, currently coach of Serie B side Catanzaro, added: “I was young when I moved to Liverpool and it was a big change for me, but I enjoyed it there and made many friends – Torres, [Glen] Johnson, [Dirk] Kuyt … [Pepe] Reina. Maybe people think I was not a good signing and not a good player for Liverpool but for me it was a great moment in my life. It was a year I will never forget.”