Naby Keita made to “suffer” when playing against Xabi Alonso

Dynamic midfielder Naby Keita has revealed that former Liverpool maestro Xabi Alonso is the hardest player he’s ever faced in his career so far.

In an interview for Liverpool’s official website, Keita revealed that the Spanish midfielder, now retired, was his most difficult opponent in the Bayern Munich side Alonso played for.

Keita, who joined Liverpool in July for £52.75million, has had a bright start to his Anfield career, earning rave reviews for his performances against West Ham, Crystal Palace and Brighton. Jurgen Klopp chose to rest him for the tie with Leicester, but he will no doubt return to the starting XI during Liverpool’s tough run of fixtures after the international break.

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LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – AUGUST 12: Naby Keita of Liverpool runs with the ball during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and West Ham United at Anfield on August 12, 2018 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

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Speaking of Alonso in an interview formed from questions from Liverpool supporters, the Number 8 said:

“When I used to play against Bayern, [he] always used to give me a really hard time.”

“He was so experienced, he made me suffer. The way he’d keep switching play just meant that you could never stop running. He was very intelligent.”

Alonso returned the favour earlier in the summer by describing Keita as “a big personality…an all-round midfielder” when asked about the Guinean’s move to Liverpool.

Big things are expected of Naby Keita, and thus far, he appears to be well on course to delivering them.

The post Naby Keita made to “suffer” when playing against Xabi Alonso appeared first on AnfieldHQ.

Source: anfieldhq.com