Jamie Carragher has opened up on his first impression of former Liverpool teammate Xabi Alonso, admitting he was initially skeptical of the Spaniard's confidence and his knowledge of how he could improve Rafael Benitez's side

Jamie Carragher has revealed his initial thoughts on former Liverpool colleague Xabi Alonso.

Alonso arrived at Anfield from Real Sociedad in 2004 as Rafael Benitez sought to transform and rebuild his squad. He was one of two Spanish signings that summer, alongside Luis Garcia from Barcelona. At that point, Alonso remained relatively unfamiliar to many at Liverpool, despite having impressed over several seasons in La Liga.

The Basque-born midfielder, who is now in charge of Chelsea, began his professional journey at Sociedad and accumulated over 100 first-team outings before Benitez and Liverpool secured his signature, fending off considerable interest from Real Madrid.

Initial doubts surrounded Alonso's transfer, but he swiftly silenced critics through his displays on the pitch.

Carragher has now disclosed his first impressions of Alonso upon his arrival at the club, acknowledging that the Spaniard possessed genuine self-belief and understood how he could enhance Benitez's team.

In conversation with Sky Sports, Carragher recalled: "And I [laughter] I remember Rafa said, 'Oh, we got this player, Alonso.' And I didn't know Rafa too well. He'd only been there six, eight weeks."

Alonso interjected: "And you didn't know me, neither."

Carragher went on: "I didn't know you. No. What was... I would be 26 then? You were 21, 22? And he said, 'We got this amazing player coming. He's a real thinker. He understands football.' He's already telling me where we can get better.'

"And I was thinking, 'Who the f--- does he think he is?' This guy from Spain, telling Liverpool where they're going."

Alonso subsequently enjoyed a distinguished spell at Anfield. In his debut campaign, he contributed to the Reds' Champions League triumph, proving instrumental in their penalty shootout victory over AC Milan in the final.

Overall, Alonso made 210 appearances and netted 19 goals over five prosperous years at Liverpool before securing a transfer to Real Madrid.

Reports indicated that Alonso was reluctant to depart the Reds, as his contract ran until at least 2012, and his exit was attributed to disagreements with Benitez.

His former Liverpool colleague Steven Gerrard admitted he was "devastated" by Alonso's choice, identifying his exit as a contributing factor to Liverpool's disappointing start to the subsequent campaign.

Alonso, who concluded his playing days at Bayern Munich, currently manages Chelsea, having previously held positions at Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen.