Real Madrid full back Trent Alexander-Arnold underscored his enduring affection for Liverpool and preemptively accepted the reception he would receive upon his first return to Anfield in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.
The proud Scouser spent two decades representing his boyhood team. A love affair which began with peeking between the fence at Liverpool’s old training ground reached a climax with Alexander-Arnold in the first team, offering an unmatched creative edge from right back as the Reds romped to every major honour available.
After 354 appearances, 92 assists and eight trophies, including the club’s first two Premier League titles, Alexander-Arnold accepted that there were no more worlds left to conquer from Merseyside. “I need a change,” he explained in May once it had been announced that he would not sign an extension to a contract which expired in June, “a new challenge for me as a player and as a person.”
The decision was not well received.
Before the news was even confirmed, posters were plastered across Merseyside deriding his supposed lack of loyalty. On Alexander-Arnold’s first appearance for Liverpool after announcing his departure, he was booed by large sections of Anfield.
The prevailing explanation was that as a dyed-in-the-wool fan of the club, surely there would be no reason to ever leave. For those that tentatively accepted that Alexander-Arnold could move on, the manner of his departure—namely running down his contract before joining Real Madrid, a team many Liverpool fans consider to be their European rivals—rankled.
Even if current boss Arne Slot refused to call out his own fans, the Anfield crowd’s reaction was harshly criticised by several Liverpool players and iconic former manager Jürgen Klopp. Alexander-Arnold was subsequently given a warm send-off as Liverpool celebrated the top-flight title in May and he is prepared for any reaction on Tuesday night.
“Whatever way I’m received, is the decision of the fans,” he told .
“I’ll always love the club, I’ll always be a fan of the club. I’ll always be thankful for the opportunities and the things that we achieved together… they’ll live with me forever. No matter what, my feeling won’t change towards Liverpool. I’ve got memories there that will last me a lifetime.”
Alexander-Arnold has struggled with injuries throughout his first five months in Madrid but is back fit for this week’s league phase fixture. It appears unlikely that the 27-year-old will start—he hasn’t appeared in any competition for Madrid since damaging his hamstring on Sept. 16—but could be called off the bench.
In the event that Alexander-Arnold does feature and find the net, which would be just the third Champions League goal of his career, the former Red promised to be respectful. “If I was to score, then no I wouldn’t celebrate to be honest,” he revealed.
