Trent Alexander-Arnold has opened up on the difficult period he endured following the tragic death of former Liverpool teammate Diogo Jota
Trent Alexander-Arnold sits on the bench during the match between Espanyol and Real Madrid
Trent Alexander-Arnold has opened up on how he was impacted by the death of former team-mate Diogo Jota(Image: Photo by Joan Valls/Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Ex-Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has opened up on how the death of former teammate Diogo Jota impacted him in the early days of his Real Madrid career.
The academy graduate spent 20 years with the club, having progressed through the ranks and into the first team. He won two Premier League titles, the Champions League and numerous domestic cups, and was eventually named vice-captain of the club. He played alongside Jota for five years after the Portugal international was signed from Wolves back in 2020.
Alexander-Arnold departed Liverpool at the end of the 2024/25 season, in which the Reds were crowned Premier League champions. He joined Real Madrid as a free agent, although the La Liga club was forced to pay a nominal fee to Liverpool in order to sign the player early for the FIFA Club World Cup.
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Jota was tragically killed alongside his brother, Andre, in a car accident on July 3, 2025, aged just 28. The forward's wife and family were joined by Liverpool players and staff at the brothers' funeral in their hometown of Gondomar, Portugal, a few days later.
For Alexander-Arnold, however, he was away in the United States with Real Madrid competing at the Club World Cup. Just days after the accident, the defender started their quarter-final tie against Borussia Dortmund, a game they narrowly won 3-2.
Real Madrid was ultimately knocked out by Paris Saint-Germain a few days later in the semifinals, suffering a 4-0 defeat at the hands of the European champion. Alexander-Arnold was absent on that occasion after suffering a setback in training before the game.
In a very candid interview, the former Liverpool man has spoken of how Jota's passing impacted him while so far away, and how he eventually found some closure. "A very, very difficult time," Alexander-Arnold told The Mirror.
Xabi Alonso, Dean Huijsen and former Liverpool player Trent Alexander-Arnold of Real Madrid laying a wreath in memory of Liverpool player Diogo Jota at Anfield
Trent Alexander-Arnold says he found closure when he returned to Anfield and laid a wreath in memory of former teammate Diogo Jota(Image: Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
"I think that's what was difficult….going through it on your own. Everybody else who had known him for that amount of time were all grouped together.
"It was difficult, and then having to continue to play games and them being so far away was hard. But coming back to Anfield and being able to go to the stadium and put some flowers down really helped me get that closure."
Opening up further about his friendship with Jota, he explained how the two of them "spoke every day." He added: "I was injured a couple of times when he was and we were doing our training to get back fit together, and we were both very competitive.
"So we would always, you know, have different competitions between ourselves. Those are the kind of memories that I'll hold close to me.
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"He was just a really good guy. Like he was very honest. That's one of the best attributes that anybody can have. He was hardworking. He loved what he did, and was a massive family man."