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Brendan Rodgers hailed Joe Allen as the 'Welsh Xavi' when he joined Liverpool in 2012(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

When Joe Allen signed for Liverpool from Swansea City back in August 2012, he was hailed by Brendan Rodgers as the 'Welsh Xavi'.

While the midfielder would go on to make 130 appearances for the Reds over the next four years, he has since admitted that it was a moniker he struggled to live up to.

Allen was lacking regular first-team minutes under Rodgers' successor Jurgen Klopp by the time he left Anfield for Stoke City in July 2016.



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However, a former Welsh international colleague has now said he believes Allen was right up there with their superstar team-mate Gareth Bale in terms of his ability on the ball at the peak of his career.

Alongside Allen and former Real Madrid forward Bale, Hal Robson-Kanu was part of the Wales team which famously made the semi-finals of the Euro 2016 tournament in France.

He had a period of 18 months when he was at Liverpool, and Brendan Rodgers referenced him as his Xavi.

He was a master."

Joe Allen, pictured after scoring his final Liverpool goal in a win over Watford in May 2016(Image: John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Allen has openly discussed how he found being compared to Barcelona legend Xavi by Rodgers tough to live up to.

"It's a dangerous one because I had the 'Welsh Xavi' tag for a while and that didn't really do me too many favours."

He also spoke about how he felt disappointed by the manner of his departure from Liverpool after revealing that he only found out the club had accepted a £13m offer from Stoke from a friend.

He initially retired from international football in 2023 due to injury before being recalled by manager Craig Bellamy in October last year.

Joe Allen is widely regarded as one of Wales' best-ever midfielders(Image: Getty)

Bellamy, who had two spells as a player at Liverpool, believes Allen is one of Wales' best-ever players.