Arsenal midfielder Mikel Arteta admits he stays in close contact with Real Madrid star Xabi Alonso.

Arteta admits that Alonso is partly responsible for him taking the Premier League plunge when he left Rangers for Everton in 2005. However, despite living so close for so much of their lives, the Spaniards have never shared a professional team.

"We used to live five minutes away from each other and play at the same clubs when we were young," Arteta told Arsenal.com.

"We had a good relationship but then I went to Barcelona and he stayed. Then suddenly, five years later he went to Liverpool and I went to Everton and we lived next door to each other.

"It was crazy but that's what football brings you sometimes. You never know where you are going to end up.

"Obviously I spoke to him and he said Liverpool was a really nice city to live in, that the fans were unbelievable, there was a big rivalry between the two clubs and it was a good experience.

"I didn't have any doubts about moving there and that was partly thanks to him [Alonso]."