By admin 
Xabi Alonso is back in Liverpool, more than 15 years after leaving the Reds, and it’s fair to say the landscape has changed somewhat since he left for Real Madrid in 2009.
The Spaniard will take on his former club in a managerial capacity on Tuesday evening when his Bayer Leverkusen side take on the Merseysiders at Anfield, looking decidedly different now to when he was on the pitch in L4.
The 42-year-old held his pre-match press conference this evening and was impressed by the expansion of the stadium in recent years.
Alonso said (via Liverpool echo): “It feels great to be back after a few years; It’s always special. You notice the development of the club; the new stand looks great. Tomorrow is definitely a big game against Liverpool at a great time. It can’t get much better than that.”
(Photo by Barrington Coombs/Getty Images)
The ex-Liverpool midfielder’s comments will be appreciated by Reds fans, and they will thank the FSG hierarchy, under whose leadership Anfield evolved considerably.
From a capacity of around 45,000 when they took control of the club in 2010, the venue can now accommodate 61,000 spectators thanks to the renovation and expansion of the Main Stand and the Anfield Road Stand.
John Henry and co have made their fair share of missteps during their ownership of LFC – the European Super League fiasco, plans to increase ticket prices to £77 and laying off staff during the pandemic were awful decisions – but the redevelopment of the stadium is an absolute plus.
Anfield should be rocking before kick-off tomorrow night and hopefully throughout the match, just as it was on so many unforgettable nights when Alonso was in the red for Liverpool as a player.