Xabi Alonso will draw the curtain on his illustrious career on Saturday by lifting the Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich - what a way to finish.

Tributes have flooded in for the Spain international heading into his final game, with ex-Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard paying homage with a lovely video message.

"I just want to say a huge congratulations on your retirement," Gerrard said. "What a special career, a fantastic player.

"For me, probably the most enjoyable partner throughout my career as a midfielder. The best passer of a ball I've ever played with and you deserve all the accolades you get.

"What a special career for club and country. I'm very jealous of you having a World Cup winner's medal, I'm very jealous of you having league titles in Germany and Spain, but you deserve it mate."

With mere hours remaining of his professional career, Alonso will inevitably be reflecting on all he has achieved over the past 18 years.

From winning the Champions League with Liverpool in 2005 to European Championship and World Cup successes with Spain, the 35-year-old has done it all.

Alonso has plenty of memories to cherish, one being the time he humiliated Zinedine Zidane during a rondo in Real Madrid training four years ago.

Back in 2013, Alonso pulled off a brilliant no-look nutmeg on his then-manager to leave the Frenchman a bit red-faced. Check it out in the video below.

ALONSO BOSSES ZIDANE

Naughty. Zidane didn't look too impressed at first but then appeared to congratulate Alonso by shaking his hand.

The former Spain international will have no regrets about his time at the Bernabeu having won La Liga and Champions League, but the same can't be said for the rest of his career.

In an interview with the Times, Alonso explained how he regrets not winning La Liga with Real Sociedad, the Premier League with Liverpool and the Champions League with Bayern.

"Maybe I have three," he said when asked about any regrets. "With Real Sociedad, my club, we were one game from winning La Liga [in 2002-03].

"With Liverpool we were so close to the Premier League. With Bayern, so close to the Champions League. But maybe that would be too much to ask, too perfect."

What a legend.