Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard explains why he convinced Rafa Benitez not to replace Xabi Alonso with Gareth Barry
- Steven Gerrard says he advised Rafa Benitez against a move for Gareth Barry
- The Spaniard wanted to sign Barry as a direct replacement for Xabi Alonso
- Gerrard says he told Benitez and Liverpool to do more to keep Alonso at Anfield
Steven Gerrard advised Rafa Benitez against signing Gareth Barry as a replacement for Xabi Alonso, instead imploring him to do everything to keep the midfielder at the club.
The 36-year-old will play in his 633rd top-flight game on Monday if he turns out for West Brom at Arsenal, eclipsing the all-time Premier League record set by Ryan Giggs.
But his future could have taken a very different path had Gerrard not given his opinion to Benitez while still captain of Liverpool.
West Brom midfielder Gareth Barry could have signed for Liverpool but for Steven Gerrard
Liverpool legend Gerrard says he didn't think Barry was right to replace Xabi Alonso
'He wanted to move Xabi on and bring in Gareth,' Gerrard told BT Sport. 'Now, for me that wasn't the right move, although I'm a big fan of Gareth Barry.
'I'd rather have him in to play alongside Xabi because I think they could have worked together.
'I don't think it was the right move from a Liverpool point of view to replace Xabi with Gareth. The fans love Xabi, he's a world-class player, and for me, Rafa should have been doing everything to keep him and not have him move on.'
Gerrard told Benitez that the fans would want to see Alonso stay at the club rather than Barry
The Spaniard left Anfield for Real Madrid in 2009, when Barry joined Manchester City
Alonso eventually moved to Real Madrid in the summer of 2009, the same summer that Barry chose to join Manchester City despite interest from Liverpool and Arsenal.
He made 132 Premier League appearances for the Citizens, winning a Premier League title and an FA Cup before joining Everton on loan in 2013 and completing a permanent deal a year later.
A move to West Brom followed last summer and he now stands to make history if he plays against Arsenal on Monday.
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