Former Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold was back at Anfield on Tuesday with Real Madrid in the Champions League and received a hostile reception from home supporters on Merseyside. The full-back's decision to leave his boyhood club at the end of last season and head to the Santiago Bernabeu enraged many fans who made their feelings known ahead of kick-off, but the player chose to see the funny side.
Liverpool fans boo Alexander-Arnold
The boos rang out around Anfield when Alexander-Arnold's name was read out over the tannoy ahead of the game. The defender was named in Xabi Alonso's squad for the Champions League fixture after recovering from injury and is back on Merseyside for the first time since his controversial departure in the summer. Alexander-Arnold chose to leave at the end of his Liverpool contract, although Real Madrid ended up paying a €10 million (£8m/$11m) fee to release him early so he could feature for Los Blancos at the Club World Cup.
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The boos from the crowd didn't appear to have bothered Alexander-Arnold. The defender was spotted laughing and smirking with his team-mates during the warm-up despite the chorus of disapproval ringing out from the stands.
Alexander-Arnold told to enjoy Anfield return
Alexander-Arnold's career at Real Madrid is yet to really get going as he suffered a hamstring injury in September and has not featured for the club since then. The defender started on the bench for Real Madrid against Liverpool, with manager Xabi Alonso having told the former Red to enjoy his time back on Merseyside.
"We haven’t spoken about that precisely [the reception that awaits Alexander-Arnold] but we have spoken about the team and the club," he told a pre-match press conference. He has to have his own feelings and enjoy it his own way. So I am not going to say how he needs to feel it. For sure his history is different from mine, he was born and bred in Liverpool. I remember him from a young age in the academy and then coming to the first team and winning the Champions League. So he needs to enjoy the moment because it is nice to be back.
"He is good. He didn’t play [against Valencia on Saturday] because of the context of the game but he is available for any number of minutes. Tomorrow he may play and after the injury he had we need his qualities; he has great qualities. He is in a new stage for him – sporting, physically and mentally. We need to give him what he needs because he is an exceptional player that we have in our squad. So he needs to enjoy the moment because it is nice to be back."
Slot happy to welcome Alexander-Arnold back
Liverpool manager Arne Slot insisted he would welcome Alexander-Arnold back to the club but couldn't guarantee the fans would be pleased to see him again. He told reporters: "I can only tell you what kind of reception he gets from me; I have great memories of the player and the human being. He was my vice-captain last season and I have memories of working with him which were only positive and have memories from watching him on television which were only positive as well – I can remember multiple great moments of his in a Liverpool shirt. He will get a warm welcome from me. Let’s first wait and see if he is on the pitch tomorrow. How the fans react I have no clue but he gets a warm welcome from me, that’s for sure."