Wayne Rooney defended Trent Alexander-Arnold ahead of his return to Anfield, facing Liverpool in the Champions League, before claiming that there is only one football club in the world bigger than Real Madrid.
Liverpool are not the first Premier League club to lose a star player to Real Madrid.
The biggest transfer involving Manchester United and Real Madrid saw Cristiano Ronaldo move to the Bernabeu in 2009, with the Red Devils pocketing £80 million for the Ballon d’Or winner’s signature.
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Two more high-profile transfers saw Real Madrid sign players from United, including David Beckham and Ruud van Nistelrooy, but United fans had no hard feelings towards these players.
The same can’t be said for Liverpool fans and Trent Alexander-Arnold after he was booed during Real Madrid’s warm-up at Anfield, despite coming through the youth system and winning several major honours.
Wayne Rooney covering the Champions League at Anfield for Liverpool v Real Madrid
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images
Wayne Rooney had no interest in joining Real Madrid
Former United striker Wayne Rooney believes Alexander-Arnold deserved a better reception from Liverpool fans on Tuesday night.
When asked whether the England international would get a warm reception from supporters, Rooney told Amazon Prime Video: “Do you know what, I hope so, but I don’t think it will be positive.
“How can you deny a young lad in the prime of his career the opportunity to go and play for Real Madrid? Don’t get me wrong, Liverpool is such a huge football club around the world, but Real Madrid is different.
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“The service he gave to Liverpool and the trophies he’s won here at Liverpool is incredible, but now he’s gone on to a new challenge, and Real Madrid, it’s very difficult to turn them down, so I wish him all the best, and I hope he gets a good reception.”
Former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge jumped in with a question for Rooney: “Wayne, question for you, did you turn Real Madrid down at any point?”
Rooney responded: “No, the only other club bigger than Real Madrid is Manchester United, so I went to them!”
It was the perfect response and one that will be appreciated by United fans.
Gary Neville compares Trent Alexander-Arnold to two Man Utd exits
Although Alexander-Arnold left Liverpool at the end of his contract and joined Real Madrid on a free transfer, Gary Neville compared the move to when United lost key players to the Spanish giants.
The two examples Neville used were Beckham and Ronaldo.
Speaking on The Overlap in May, Neville said: “When I use David Beckham as an example, people say, ‘Well, he’s not from Manchester’.
“From five or six, he was a Manchester United fan. He joined the club at 13. His mum and dad came up every week to watch.
“It came as a shock to the fans at the end of the season when nobody was expecting it. The other one is Cristiano Ronaldo.
“At the end of the 2008 Champions League final, he said he wanted to leave. United negotiated another year and he played another season but everyone knew he was going to go.
“But he still got a decent reception all year. I know it is different, but they are the only two examples.”