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Xabi Alonso helped convince Glen Johnson to join Liverpool(Image: Jose Hernandez/Anadolu via Getty Images)

A phone call from Xabi Alonso helped persuade Glen Johnson to snub Manchester City and Chelsea and join Liverpool.

With a keen eye on an attacking right-back, Rafa Benitez targeted the England ace, then of Portsmouth.

And after fending off interest from Chelsea and Manchester City, Liverpool secured Johnson's signature.



The departing Alonso also did his bit.

Reflecting years later in 2021, Johnson told the Liverpool Echo: "If a club like Liverpool comes knocking, you obviously immediately have an eye on it and an interest.

"But what swung it was we played for England that summer, just before I signed, and I had a good chat with Stevie.

I just thought these were some of the best players in the world.

"They don't need to phone me but they were phoning me to let me know how much they wanted me to join.

Straight away, I felt like I knew them and it made me feel super welcome before I signed and everything just felt right."

Article continues belowSteven Gerrard and Alonso sold Liverpool to Johnson(Image: Getty)

The fact that Liverpool were only able to spend £17.5m to sign Johnson from Portsmouth by cancelling out £7m the financially-stricken outfit owed to them for Peter Crouch was a sign that a period of instability lay ahead, with multiple managerial changes and new ownership.

Johnson said: "There were a lot of issues with owners.

We were playing some great football and were unlucky we didn't get over the line."

Johnson snubbed Chelsea and Manchester City after chats with Gerrard and Alonso(Image: Reach PLC)

Reflecting on his six years with the Reds, Johnson, who left Anfield for Stoke in 2015 and retired three years later, said: "Our starting XI was great.
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