Spanish midfielder Thiago Alcantara has admitted that he and his family have fallen in love with Liverpool.
Thiago has had a big impact since his arrival in September 2020. And in quotes from TNT Sports via the Liverpool, is seems that Liverpool has had a similar impact on him, too.
It’s my team. It’s not just the players, it’s the fans. My family is here, they are already ultra Liverpool fans. So, after all, we end up becoming a family and we try to help each other,” the 31-year-old said after Tuesday’s win over Ajax.
Music to Liverpool fans’ ears, no doubt. It isn’t just lip-service either. The passion that Thiago displays for the club is so evident in his on-field actions too. What a player.
Thiago gets Liverpool back on track
At times, you still have to pinch yourself that Thiago is a Liverpool player. Given that he has been injured for a big portion of the last two years, he still feels a little bit like a new signing.
After stellar spells at enormous clubs Barcelona and Bayern Munich, the move was seen as a huge coup for Liverpool at the time. Bayern didn’t want to lose him, but Thiago was keen for a new challenge at Anfield.
Although he found it tricky to get going amidst pandemic-era football, he has since shown his quality.
And the difference he made during Liverpool’s return to winning ways against Ajax on Tuesday was quite incredible. On a technical level, this is a footballer just as good as near-enough any Anfield has ever seen.
A new deal in the offing?
Throw into the mix Thiago’s leadership skills, and you simply can’t overstate just how important he is to this Liverpool team. During his interview with TNT Sports, Thiago demonstrated a little of that leadership. The Spaniard outlined the squad’s belief that they could put things right after a difficult start to the season.
We came from a not very good, unwanted time. But we always believe in this team. The basis of this team is work, so we keep working, we keep improving things that weren’t right. And little by little we grow. Every day that passed, we grew,” he said.
We had the opportunity to not play on the weekend and prepare even more for this game. And being the only game of the three that we could have this week, we made the most of it. I believe we are worthy of this victory and we created a lot of chances and controlled the game as well.
Asked about what was said behind closed doors after the defeat to Napoli, Thiago kept his cards close to his chest.
“I think it’s our thing, something that happens practically inside the locker room, that is talked about, that gets better inside the locker room. But the main thing as a summary is that we are us again,” said the Reds’ no.6
Now thirty-one, it may be that Thiago only stays at Anfield until his current deal expires, in 2024. But given his growing importance to the club, perhaps Liverpool should start thinking about offering him a new contract.
