It is a question that gets asked when a player moves to the second phase of his career and finds himself making the big decisions. Usually, the inquiry is made to a former team-mate in order to get a character insight.
“Did you ever think they would become a manager?”
In Xabi Alonso’s case, the answer will always be “yes”. The Spaniard, who achieved all there was to achieve when elegantly patrolling the midfields of Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, was this week appointed Head Coach of Bayer Leverkusen. It is a fascinating appointment.