Liverpool fans were left unimpressed by Jude Bellingham waiting in the Anfield tunnel to exchange shirts with Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Despite putting in an underwhelming performance as his team lost to Liverpool, the Real Madrid midfielder was eager to swap shirts with his England team-mate, who remained on the bench during the convincing 2-0 victory for the Premier League and Champions League leaders.
A video from the tunnel shows Bellingham waiting outside Liverpool's dressing room, where he eventually swaps shirts with Reds star Ryan Gravenberch, who kindly fetches the vice-captain's top for him. And Liverpool fans online were quick to react to Bellingham's actions, amid speculation that Alexander-Arnold could join him at the Spanish giants when his contract expires next summer.
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One fan posting on X said: "Jesus Christ that is cringe." Another added: "He’s so cringe man." A third said: "Personally there’s nothing that would make me want to join a club more than their star player waiting outside the opponents dressing room asking for a players shirt after being battered…"
A fourth fan said: "So he literally waited and wouldn't leave till someone would come around from the Liverpool side to give him the shirt of Trent? The guy must be a clown." However, other supporters said Bellingham was simply getting the shirt for one of the two Madrid academy players stood next to him in the tunnel.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Trent Alexander-Arnold sat on the Liverpool bench against Real Madrid (Image: Getty Images)
The pair have formed a close bond during their time with the England squad, particularly during their journey to the Euro 2024 final. And it has been suggested that Bellingham - who snubbed Liverpool when he made his move to Madrid and was booed throughout last night's encounter - could be a factor in Alexander-Arnold leaving his boyhood club on a free transfer at the end of the season.
Mbappe, the superstar forward, was also met with a chorus of boos, likely due to his decision also to snub Liverpool in favour of a move to Bernabeu. Arne Slot's side faced a depleted Madrid team, but also had their fair share of crucial absences, including Alexander-Arnold who has only recently returned from injury, plus star men Alisson Becker and Diogo Jota, reports the Mirror.
Bellingham handed his shirt to Gravenberch after the Dutchman returned with Alexander-Arnold's
Bellingham handed his shirt to Gravenberch after the Dutchman returned with Alexander-Arnold's top (Image: TNT Sports)
Key players such as Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Daniel Carvajal were absent for Madrid due to various injuries. However, Bellingham refused to use this as an excuse, insisting the La Liga titans needed to step up their game.
"They were better than us. Sometimes we have to be honest. We didn't dominate the game and the chances we had to harm them were not clear-cut. It's disappointing. We knew it was going to be tough, but we would've liked to play better," he said.
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"Mbappe gives us a lot and I'm sure he'll give us a lot in the future. It can happen when you take responsibility. Anyone can miss a penalty and that wasn't the reason we lost today. It was a collective issue. We win together and we lose together.
"It's not an excuse. They also had injuries and players who were not 100%. It's part of the game and you have to deal with it. When we had the ball we didn't threaten enough and that's not because of injuries and players who weren't there. We didn't take responsibility. We didn't take the bull by the horns and they did."