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

When Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard tipped Alberto Aquilani to become “the next Xabi Alonso,” the expectation was sky-high. But while the prediction came from one of the most respected figures in the club’s history, reality painted a very different story.

Xabi Alonso had left an indelible mark on Anfield during his five seasons with the Reds. Signed in 2004 for £10.5 million, the Spanish maestro became a midfield metronome, partnering Gerrard to deliver some of Liverpool’s most iconic nights. Together, they lifted the Champions League in 2005, followed by the UEFA Super Cup and FA Cup. By the time Alonso departed for Real Madrid in 2009 for £30 million, he had amassed 210 appearances and cemented his legacy as one of the Premier League’s finest deep-lying playmakers.

Replacing him was never going to be easy. Yet Liverpool moved decisively, identifying Italian international Alberto Aquilani as the man to step into Alonso’s shoes. The club paid £18 million to bring him from AS Roma, even though he was recovering from ankle surgery at the time.

Despite the injury concerns, Gerrard was quick to offer glowing praise. In January 2010, speaking to Zoo Magazine, he confidently drew parallels between the Italian and the Spaniard. “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 remarked, while acknowledging that Aquilani would need time to adapt after his setbacks.

For a brief moment, fans dared to believe. Aquilani, with his technical ability and vision, seemed tailor-made for Liverpool’s passing style. Yet football can be unforgiving, and persistent injuries continued to hamper his integration. He managed just 18 Premier League appearances in his debut season, as Liverpool slumped to a disappointing seventh-place finish — their lowest in over a decade.

When Rafa Benítez departed in the summer of 2010, replaced by Roy Hodgson, Aquilani’s Liverpool chapter all but closed. The midfielder was sent out on loan, first to Juventus and later to AC Milan, before eventually making a permanent move to Fiorentina in 2012. His career became something of a European tour, with later stints at Sporting CP, Pescara, Sassuolo, and Las Palmas.

By the time he hung up his boots in 2019 at the age of 35, Aquilani had enjoyed moments of success elsewhere, but his spell in England remained a footnote in an otherwise respectable career.

Reflecting in 2020 with The Guardian, Aquilani was quick to dismiss comparisons to Alonso. “That was a journalists’ thing – ‘Liverpool sell Alonso and sign Aquilani to replace him’. I never saw it that way,” he explained. “Xabi was a great player but I was comfortable with my quality. I was also a different player – more offensive.”

Despite the disappointments, Aquilani holds no bitterness about his time on Merseyside. He remembers it fondly, describing it as a life-changing year. “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, Kuyt, 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.”

Today, Aquilani has transitioned into management, currently coaching Serie B side Catanzaro. His Anfield story may not have been the triumphant chapter Gerrard envisioned, but in his own eyes, it remains a cherished period — proof that football careers are measured in more than just statistics and trophies.