Trent Alexander-Arnold is set to don the No. 12 shirt at Real Madrid, as La Liga regulations prevent him from wearing his customary 66 that he sported throughout his Liverpool tenure, and he'll also have a new moniker on the back of it.
The 26 year old England ace will officially be introduced as a Real Madrid player on Thursday after finalizing a transfer deal. Initially, he was set to join on a free transfer, but Los Blancos shelled out a substantial fee to enable the Reds academy graduate to play in the FIFA Club World Cup, rather than joining at the end of the month.
Throughout his Anfield career, Alexander-Arnold consistently wore the No. 66, but he can't wear the same number in Spain.
This is due to La Liga rules stipulating that first-team players must wear a shirt number between one and 25, with Nos. 13 and 25 specifically reserved for goalkeepers.
With this in mind, various reports have now confirmed that Alexander-Arnold will wear No. 12 for his new club this coming season, with the defender also set to have his name, Trent, on the back of his shirt instead of his surname.
The No. 12 was worn for over a decade by former Bernabeu favourite Marcelo; the Brazilian left-back made the number his own during a trophy-laden 16-year stint in the Spanish capital.
Eduardo Camavinga then wore the number briefly before switching to the No. 6 last season.
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Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has penned a six-year deal with Real Madrid, has already tweaked his Instagram handle to drop the number 66, now simply going by @trent.
The full-back faced a wave of criticism from Liverpool supporters when he declared he wouldn't be extending his stay with the Reds. Despite the controversy, he received a warm send-off during his last match at Anfield.
Trent Alexander-Arnold of England
Trent Alexander-Arnold had been away with England (Image: The FA via Getty Images)
"I didn't know what to expect at Anfield after what happened a few weeks ago. To get the reception that I got means more than anything to me," said Trent, visibly moved by the fans' response in Liverpool's season finale.
"I hope that one day the fans of this club will be able to recognise the hard work and everything I've done for this team. There wasn't a second where I didn't think about this team. I've loved every single minute of it. It goes down as the best day of my life for me."