Here are your Liverpool FC morning headlines for Sunday, September 25.
Xabi Alonso sends Reds reminder
Former Liverpool and Spain midfielder Xabi Alonso rolled back the years with a vintage midfield performance in Saturday’s Legends of the North win against Manchester United.
Florent Sinama-Pongolle secured victory with a second-half finish, after Mark Gonzales cancelled out Dimitar Berbatov’s opener. But in the absence of Steven Gerrard, former Reds maestro Alonso took centre stage with a vintage midfield performance.
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Not entirely different from his peak playing days, the 40-year-old dictated the tempo of play around him and barely broke a sweat in the middle of the park, often resisting the urge to shoot from distance and spraying inch-perfect passes instead.
Instead, the former Bayern Munich and Real Madrid man showed his managerial qualities by ordering those around him into place. He was helped by having the energetic Mohamed Sissoko alongside him in midfield, of course, but Alonso’s unflappable composure remains in tact some five years after hanging up his boots.
Van Dijk full of praise for Man Utd target
Virgil van Dijk has heaped praise on Netherlands teammate and reported Manchester United target Jurrien Timber, suggesting the young defender is further on than he was at the same age.
The Reds centre-back is currently away on international duty as he builds up to his first major international tournament this winter - having missed the European Championships due to the ACL injury sustained with his club. The Oranje beat Poland 2-0 in the Nations League on Thursday and face Belgium tonight.
Speaking to the press in the build-up to tonight’s clash in Amsterdam, the 31-year-old was asked about Ajax defender Timber who is 10-years his junior. And the now-veteran defender heaped praise on his younger compatriot by stating he is further in his development at such a young age.
Timber has been linked with a move to Manchester United to join former manager Erik ten Hag - and ex-teammates Lautaro Martinez and Anthony - at Old Trafford.
See what van Dijk had to say here.
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