TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD has been called a rat, a traitor and even “Judas” by the fans of Liverpool football club. There was a time when former players were given a hearty reception at most clubs, but increasingly, they are treated by some as if they have committed a heinous crime.
When will fans start to realise that being a footballer is not a vocation? They have a limited time in their job, admittedly a highly-paid occupation, and if you are slightly ambitious, the chance to play for one of the world’s biggest clubs has to be their target. Anyone in any job wants to get the most they can from their employment, so why resent a footballer wanting to move to Real Madrid, arguably the biggest name in the global game?
It’s even more peculiar that sections of Liverpool’s passionate following is barracking a player who gave his all for their club and was very clear that he was seeking a move. They have signed players who did likewise at their former clubs: Virgil Van Dijk and Alexander Isak are good examples of determined individuals who finessed a move to Liverpool. This is the market Liverpool are working within, so it will obviously work both ways.
Trent Alexander-Arnold was a Liverpool product, right from an extremely young age and he played 354 games for the club during eight seasons since his debut – longer than almost every player who has been bought for a transfer fee. He is 27 and in his prime, so a move from Liverpool was well-timed. In a year or two, Liverpool may have decided he was no longer first choice, but nobody would have complained in those circumstances. What undoubtedly galls the club is that they lost a sizeable fee because TAA’s contract was coming to an end.
There will be no such thing as a clubman in the future. Players are in a portfolio of assets and they are there to be sold when the club decides it is time to cash-in on their value. Things have changed since this was the law of the land, players and their agents now decide when the time is right to move on. Player trading will become more and more important in the coming years and a club’s squad will be treated like stocks and shares, that is already becoming a reality in some level of the game.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s move to Real Madrid will probably prove to be a poor decision on his part. He hasn’t established himself yet and the problem with a behemoth like Real is that patience is in short supply and if players do not hit the ground running, there are others who will. He will return to England richer and with his eyes opened much wider by the experience, but he may not find it particularly fulfilling as a player, even though he will win a medal or two.
However, hurling abuse at a player for looking for a move is not only poor form, it is also hypocritical, because most clubs have benefitted from out-of-contract TAAs. Liverpool’s supporters feel their club is somehow more “special” than others, but in truth, all fans think exactly the same way. And every club will discard a player if he no longer fits the bill, so if a player decides the club no longer suits his requirements, is that really such a crime?
TAA may be smarting after the reception he received at Anfield when he returned with Real Madrid, but if his time in the Spanish capital gets cut short or he simply becomes homesick, would he rule out a move back to his former club? Money talks louder than insults and graffiti, which all suggests that football is not just a game of cliché and jargon, it is also one of double standards.
Game of the People was founded in 2012 and is ranked among the 100 best football websites by various sources. The site consistently wins awards for its work, across a broad range of subjects. [View all posts by Neil Fredrik Jensen](https://gameofthepeople.com/author/georgefjord/)