Steve McManaman has insisted Trent Alexander-Arnold wont have any issues at Real Madrid after his move from Liverpool this summer.
The former winger [has been speaking to AS](https://as.com/futbol/primera/mcmanaman-el-madrid-esta-de-vuelta-la-plantilla-es-amplia-n/) about the defender, who is facing questions early on in his Real Madrid career after moving from Liverpool this summer.
Many had expected him to quickly establish himself as a key player in Xabi Alonso’s team and system, which uses the full backs heavily, particularly in an attacking sense.
Instead, he has found himself in and out of the tea so far, starting two of three games in La Liga but failing to complete 90 minutes. He was substituted after 68 minutes and 72 minutes against Osasuna and Mallorca and only managed three minutes in the 3-0 win over Real Oviedo.
It’s not quite the flying start he’d imagined, and he’s also been left out of Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for this international break, in which they take on Andorra and Serbia in World Cup qualifying.
McManaman believes things will improve before too long, though, and Alexander-Arnold will have no issues settling in before too long.
“I think the difference between the clubs isn’t that great. Liverpool is a huge club, with a vast history, and Real Madrid is the same,” he said.
“Both are very familiar clubs once you’re inside. If I go back there tomorrow, some of the staff are the same as when I played here 25 years ago.
“From the outside, people think Madrid is ruthless, but inside, it’s very familiar. The real change for Trent will be the city, the culture, the language, and the lifestyle.
“But he loves it. In terms of football, the adaptation won’t be huge; many people speak English, which will help him, and he’ll integrate quickly. In the end, he’ll be judged by how he plays, and Trent is a fantastic footballer, so I don’t think he’ll have any problems.”
McManaman, of course, knows all about swapping Liverpool for Madrid after making the same switch himself in 1999. And when asked what advice he’d give, he knew exactly what to say.
“The only thing I would say is settle in quickly. Find somewhere to live; the last thing you want is to spend months in hotels living out of suitcases,” he added.
“You need a real home, a base, a place to sleep well and focus on training. The last thing you want is to spend months in a hotel with suitcases everywhere. So, settle in and adapt as quickly as possible.
“You have friends like Jude from the England national team, and Xabi has a history at Liverpool, so you know you can talk to him. There are several players who speak English, so it should be much easier for you to adapt.”