Xabi Alonso has opened his heart about the anguish he felt over his Anfield exit - and left the door open for a sensational Liverpool reunion.
In a world exclusive interview - which premiered on LFC TV on Sunday night - the Spanish midfielder spoke of the disappointment he felt for the supporters after making his decision to quit Merseyside for Madrid in the summer of 2009, but insisted the time was right to take up a new challenge in his career.
In the wide-ranging interview conducted at the Real Madrid training complex in the Spanish capital, Alonso also revealed the reasons behind his departure and spoke glowingly about his memories of the 2005 Champions League final in Istanbul.
But it's when asked about his feelings for the fans who idolized him on Merseyside that the emotion on his face is most vivid.
Because while he deliberated over a monumental career-changing decision, the Liverpool supporters didn't make it any easier for their midfield hero.
A pre-season match against Lazio in August 2008 will be remembered more for the backing Xabi received off the field than for anything that happened on it that night, while a trip to Asia the following pre-season again saw him bombarded with pleas for him to stay throughout every inch of the Reds' journey through Thailand and Singapore.
Add to that the support week by week in the domestic games, and the Liverpool No.14 knew he would be breaking thousands of red hearts by sticking with his decision to quit Anfield.
"The Lazio game came at a moment of uncertainty because the transfer window was still open and I didn't know what was going to happen, whether I was going to stay with Liverpool or go somewhere else," he recalls. "The fans made it clear that they wanted me to stay. It was a big boost for me to be even more committed. Whenever you are not in a certain position at a club and you receive that support, you have to commit even more and that's what they did for me. It was fantastic to receive that support from the fans. It was only a friendly but it was one of the most special days for me.
"It was difficult because Liverpool has been and always will be very special. It is in my heart because I have lived very intense things there. It was really difficult to tell the fans what my decision was, but sometimes you have to follow your feelings and that was my feeling at that moment.
"The fans always made it very clear what they wanted and the support I had from the first day I arrived to the last day was absolutely top and I can't have any complaints about that. But it was my decision and my feeling."
After making up his mind that he had to leave Anfield, and after finally putting pen to paper on a contract with Real Madrid, his excitement over the new challenge which lay ahead was tinged with some sadness and some regret that he wasn't given the opportunity to say goodbye to those supporters who had idolized him since his first day on Merseyside.
"It was quite a long summer with so many meetings, so many talks and so many rumours," he said. "I would have preferred to say goodbye properly, like so many other teammates had already done, but because of the circumstances it didn't happen."
His 210 appearances for Liverpool included 19 goals and countless man of the match displays as he quickly earned himself legend status among Kopites.
One of the nicest guys you could ever wish to meet off the field and one of the best passers of a football on it, his time at Liverpool was a real-life Spanish-Scouse love affair.
"I miss lots of things. I miss the lads, I miss the atmosphere at Melwood - it was a great place to work, and the scenario of Anfield is unbeatable," says Xabi. "The special nights I have been privileged enough to live, those will be in my memory forever and they are difficult to compare anywhere in the world.
"Since I arrived I have known so many big, big legends as Kenny, Hansen, Souness, Fowler, Stevie, Carra - these will be forever. Sami Hyypia as well, for me he was a big example and someone I learned a lot from. I don't think I belong there but if I am a step below them I am happy to be there.
"Stevie and Carra are very good friends. They were good teammates because from the first day I felt I got on with them well. The importance they had in the changing room, it was very important for me to have a good relationship with them. Being from Liverpool, knowing how things were at that moment and winning the Champions League in the first year made the relationship stronger. That is why they are still very good friends.
"I always had full respect for Liverpool before I signed because I had heard all the stories and the tradition that they had. But once you are involved, if you like football and like the passion from the fans and the important things that matter in football then you will love Liverpool. That is what it is all about, about football, about respecting the game and about supporting the team and you can live that in Liverpool better than anywhere else."
He may not be a Liverpool player anymore, but the power of the internet and the phenomenon of Twitter has ensured he can keep in touch with events at Anfield - and with Kopites all over the world.
At the time of writing over 679,000 people 'follow' Xabi on the social network platform - and it's a fair bet that a decent percentage of that total are Liverpool fans, all of whom would welcome him back to Anfield tomorrow.
"It's great to have this direct communication," he says. "Sometimes when I tweet about Liverpool you see they keep an eye on what you are doing. I keep an eye on Liverpool as well and what is going on around the club. The fans often tell me they would like to see me back in a red shirt."
Xabi's tweet immediately after Kenny Dalglish's appointment as Liverpool manager back in January certainly struck the right chord with fans as he wished 'King Kenny' the best of luck.
"I had the chance to know Kenny a little bit. King Kenny is the biggest legend, so it was like you wanted to write it. It was perfect. I'm really pleased with what he and Steve Clarke have done," he added.
"At the beginning of the season I was feeling for the players because you could see things were not going very well and confidence was low at that moment. But things changed, the club settled down with new ownership. With Kenny's arrival the belief and the confidence of the team looks much better. I am looking forward to next season. It looks like it can be a good season."
But what about on a personal level? A key component of Jose Mourinho's Madrid team, Alonso has helped lead the battle with Barcelona for the Spanish and European trophies this season - and has been left with a feeling of what might have been.
"It's another stage of my professional career and I am enjoying it so far," he says. "We are challenging for big things and you want to be at a professional club. So far we are fighting against a great team like Barcelona, they are making it more difficult to win La Liga, for example, but that makes it a greater challenge than it already was.
"I want La Liga because that's the only trophy I don't have and is the one I am missing. I missed it in Liverpool and hopefully I will be able to make it in Madrid. The Champions League is obviously the Champions League, but I want La Liga.
"I am happy here. It's a big club, we have a great manager and a good team. It's been a very intense season. The cup final against Barcelona was really hard, the Champions League semi-final games against them were hard as well, but we kept fighting, but at the end we couldn't make it. Even just winning the cup, we are not absolutely pleased with the season but we feel we have progressed and are looking forward to next season."
But what about the future beyond next season? Having already mentioned that fans regularly tweet him with pleas for a return to Anfield, and knowing how much he is still loved on the red half of Merseyside, is there any hope that he could wear a Liverbird upon his chest again?
"Why not? I think that in football so many things change, and why not? I have my red passion and if circumstances arrived then why not? At the moment I don't know what is going to happen, but it could be a possibility. Never say never."
And with that final, teasing, answer, our interview with Xabi was almost at an end.
With two young children - Jon, aged 3 - 'he's a Scouser, he was born in Liverpool, has the kit and I will raise him as a Liverpool fan' and Annie - aged 1 - 'she has just learnt to walk so I spend a lot of time running behind her' - to keep him busy away from the demands and pressures of top level football, it's clear Xabi is a man completely happy with his life.
And whether he is reunited with the Reds at some point in the future or not, he will forever be grateful for the time he spent on Merseyside.
"I was for five seasons so pleased and so privileged to be part of the Liverpool family and I just want to say thank you to you all."
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