Xabi Alonso joins tribute as Liverpool legend honoured in Spain

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Image Credits: Imago Images

It was the kind of football moment that makes supporters stop and take notice.

Fans of two great clubs rose together before a big La Liga game.

There was a feeling of respect and gratitude in the air.

The scene was emotional and proud, one of those occasions where the sport feels bigger than results.

Xabi Alonso, now the coach of Real Madrid, stepped forward to lead the applause.

With family, friends, and players watching, a true football figure was about to be recognised.

For Liverpool supporters, it was a reminder of deep bonds that go beyond time and league borders.

That figure was John Toshack, a Liverpool hero whose career and life have inspired many.

Now 76, he has faced serious health battles, including a frightening spell in intensive care in 2022 after pneumonia complications from Covid.

Toshack later admitted how hard that time was.

“When somebody tells you that you were out for two weeks, it’s frightening.”

“You can win a championship in two weeks or get relegated.”

“When I think back on it now, it’s frightening,” he reflected.

His words captured the shock of that fight and the gratitude he feels today.

Before Real Sociedad’s match with Real Madrid, Toshack received the club’s Diamond and Gold badge.

It is the highest honour the Basque side gives its legends.

The standing ovation from both sets of fans showed how much his work means in Spain and beyond.

Toshack joined Liverpool from Cardiff in 1970 for £100,000, winning nine major honours, including three First Division titles and a European Cup.

After scoring 13 goals in 40 games for Wales, he managed his country twice, helping teenagers like Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen begin international careers.

He later coached across Europe, including Real Madrid, and even in Turkey, France, Macedonia, and Iran with Tractor.

Liverpool fans remember Toshack as more than a striker.

They remember a man whose influence reached generations.

Seeing Alonso, himself a Liverpool great, shake Toshack’s hand on the pitch made the tribute even more meaningful.

It was a night when Anfield’s history touched the heart of Spanish football and a fitting salute to a giant of the game.

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