Ex- Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso has distanced himself from any suggestion he may succeed Jurgen Klopp as Reds boss when the German eventually calls time on his Anfield reign.
Alonso spent five years in the red half of Merseyside as a player, winning the first of his two Champions League titles as well as the FA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup.
The Spaniard quickly became a popular figure among the Liverpool faithful, who instantly took to the sight of him alongside club captain Steven Gerrard in the middle of the park.
He eventually swapped Liverpool for Real Madrid in 2009, where he enjoyed a similar degree of success, winning the second Champions League title before hanging up his boots for good in 2017 while at German giants Bayern Munich.
There is little speculation over an imminent departure for Klopp, but it is widely believed the former Borussia Dortmund boss will not coach for as long as most other managers at the elite level.
Should Klopp walk away from Anfield anytime soon, Alonso would undoubtedly be a popular appointment for much of the Reds faithful.
Currently the boss of Real Sociedad's B team, a switch to the Liverpool dug-out would be a drastic rise in terms of pressure and expectation.
However, Alonso has played down any talk of his being handed the keys to the Anfield hot-seat just yet, telling CNN : "I am here in San Sebastian and Liverpool fans, they salute me and I still feel that support.
"For me, that feeling in life is great. Right now, Jurgen [Klopp] is doing a great job, so I think that the job is fulfilled, but for sure that Liverpool is top, top club for me, very, very, special."
Since his retirement, Alonso has been working his way up the coaching ladder after securing his badges in 2018.
In the same year, Alonso enjoyed his first coaching role within the Real Madrid academy set-up - the former midfielder tasked with leading the Los Blancos Under-14's side.
In 2019, the former World Cup winner was appointed the manager of Real Sociedad's B side.
His stint at Sociedad marks a return to the club where it all began for the midfield maestro, having spent half a decade at the club before his move to Liverpool.
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Alonso went on to explain how he has always displayed managerial tendencies even on the pitch as a player.
"Sometimes the manager, he doesn't have time to give an instruction on the pitch.
"So you need players to be able to take those decisions when you are playing so quick. And that was my job, and that's why it became natural to me, to me, that process to try to be a manager."
