Trent Alexander-Arnold on the Real Madrid training ground
Trent Alexander-Arnold has revealed the scale of abuse he suffered after leaving Liverpool.
Alexander-Arnold left Anfield last summer to join Real Madrid after running down his contract.
Trent Alexander-Arnold in action for Liverpool against Espanyol3
Alexander-Arnold came off the bench in Liverpool's 2-1 win over Espanyol on Saturday
It created a backlash from fans after ending a 20-year association with the club.
The 27-year-old was booed as he returned to Anfield with Madrid last November in a Champions League match.
Now he has explained just how vile some of the abuse he received was.
Speaking to The Mirror, he said: “Abuse online and threats made via social DMs or in other ways are a sad part of life in 2026 if you’re in the public eye and doing things that create a lot of attention.
“I choose to keep those things away from me because they don’t feel real.”
He adds: “I can rationalise that by knowing it’s not representative of a football club I love, LFC, and it’s not representative of my home city.”
The word ‘rat’ was splashed over his mural in the city near the stadium and actually made him consider whether to return for that game.
“Going back to Liverpool after everything that’s happened it was on my mind,” he said.
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“If I'm honest, if something affects me and upsets me, it shows in my family as well. They are in it with me…we’re together.”
He continued: “The booing and disappointment from Liverpool supporters is something I’m absolutely able to shoulder. I can understand it, in my own way.
Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold with the Premier League trophy3
Alexander-Arnold won the Premier League twice with Liverpool
"I heard a lot during that period that Liverpool fans didn’t want to be told how to feel or think, and I agree. But I hope one day there’ll be a degree of understanding about the decisions I wanted to make around my own life.
“It hurts because of how much I’ve put into the club over the course of 20 years and the sacrifices I made for the club during that period. So of course it hurts, but I understand the disappointment. I even understand anger expressed through booing.”
Will Trent return to Liverpool?
There has been speculation over whether the right-back would return to Anfield one day.
The 27-year-old's move to Spain has proved far from successful so far, after he started just 14 LaLiga games last season and failed to score in any competition for the first time since his maiden senior campaign of 2016/17.
Madrid also signed Denzel Dumfries from Inter Milan to provide competition under new manager Jose Mourinho.
talkSPORT’s Angelina Kelly argued that Liverpool should be open to re-signing him.
Trent Alexander-Arnold3
Alexander-Arnold has played 354 games for Liverpool... so far
Alexander-Arnold added that he still watches every game, which will only fuel rumours of a return.
He said: "I still watch every [Liverpool] game. I support them. I want to see them do well. I enjoy watching them, and there will always be a place in my heart for Liverpool, no matter what.
"It is home to me. It’s the place that gave me the opportunities to go and do what I’ve done, and I will always love it. It’s always a place that I’ll call home."