Xabi Alonso reveals Premier League failure at Liverpool as one of his regrets

The recently retired Xabi Alonso has admitted that his failure to win the Premier League with former club Liverpool remains one of his career regrets.

Alonso joined Liverpool from Real Sociedad in 2004, going on to make 210 appearances in his five seasons with the club and winning the Champions League and FA Cup.

The Spaniard then joined Real Madrid in 2009 as he won the Copa del Rey, La Liga and Champions League before moving to Bayern Munich in 2014.

At Munich, Alonso won three Bundesliga titles and a DFB-Pokal trophy in three seasons but failed to win the Champions League with the Bavarians, before ultimately retiring at the end of this past season.

While not succeeding in Europe with Bayern is one of his regrets, Alonso also revealed that failing to win the league with Liverpool was another one, having come closest in the 2008/2009 season.

"I would include not winning the Champions League with Bayern and the Premier League with Liverpool," Alonso said, as quoted on ESPN. "We won practically everything -- the Champions League, FA Cup but not the Premier League."

"Liverpool has its own legend and history that appeals to everyone who loves football. It gripped me too. Anfield gripped me, of course the Premier League too because we were doing well.

"In 2005, we won the Champions League in my first season, and it went 'click.' And when Liverpool grips you, it grips you for life."

The 35-year-old also mentioned failing to win La Liga in 2003 with his boyhood club Real Sociedad as another regret, with Real Madrid pipping them by two points to win the title: "If I had won all of them, my trophy collection would have simply been too complete."

Now retired, Alonso is looking forward to life after football.

"I'm definitely going to buy a motorbike and go on a trip this summer," he added. "It will be a racing bike, not the biggest but not the smallest neither. I've always liked motorbikes, I like the freedom that you get on a motorbike and I couldn't enjoy before."

"Generally though I'm looking forward to more free time, free weekends, as a new stage of my life begins."