Xabi Alonso may have left Anfield for the warmer, more Spanish climes of Real Madrid, but it’s really no doubt that the midfielder holds a soft spot for Liverpool and his years spent there. Alonso recently sad down with Nico Rosberg on his Beyond Victory podcast to talk about his career and (more importantly for us) what he thinks about Liverpool under Klopp.

“I have played so many times against him, I would have loved to have been coached by him,” Alonso said about Klopp. “But I am really happy he’s in Liverpool, [he is a] top, top manager and he seems really passionate, because he gets really close to the players, but [is] as well a good thinker of the game.”

And while some of us may not be daydreaming about what Klopp’s midfield would look like with Xabi Alonso in his prime thrown into the mix, Alonso himself is keen to focus on the present and Liverpool’s bid for both the Premier League title and another Champions League trophy.

“I really, really want [Liverpool to win the title] because we have been chasing it for so long, so long,” Alonso added. “I know how much it means for the club, for their supporters, [after] so long without winning it.”

And he doesn’t believe another night like Istanbul 2005 is off the table, either.

“[Liverpool] reached the final last year so now they know how it feels to be there. But we will see. It’s going to be a great, great semi-final to watch and [I’m] really looking forward to it.”

Liverpool will play their first semi-final leg against Barcelona on May 1. You can find out more about tickets to the game at Camp Nou here.