Former Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold was asked about joining Manchester United by Sir Alex Ferguson
Trent Alexander-Arnold during a press conference
Trent Alexander-Arnold responded when asked about joining Manchester United(Image: Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
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Former Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold shut down Sir Alex Ferguson when the legendary manager asked why he had not signed for Manchester United. Despite rising through the ranks of the club’s fierce rivals, the right-back had family ties to Old Trafford.
The full-back was integral to Jurgen Klopp’s side after making his first league start against United as a teenager. His pinpoint passing helped him guide his boyhood club to win several trophies, including the Premier League and Champions League.
Alexander-Arnold decided to leave for Real Madrid as he neared the end of his contract in 2025, which proved controversial among sections of Liverpool fans. The 28-year-old has struggled to have the same influence at his new club, as he seeks to become a regular under new boss Jose Mourinho, whose side face RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Wednesday.
The defender made 354 appearances for Liverpool before moving to the Spanish capital. While his decision to leave for Los Blancos provoked a strong reaction from Liverpool fans, Alexander-Arnold previously explained his reasons for snubbing United as a youngster.
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The right-back’s uncle John Alexander was a club secretary at United, prompting Ferguson's interest. As recalled to the Mirror in 2018, when asked why he had not attempted to join United, Alexander-Arnold told Ferguson: “My mum doesn’t drive on motorways.”
Instead, the right-back remained with the club he had begun training with at six years old. Alexander-Arnold finally felt the time was right to start a new chapter after winning a second Premier League title in 2025.
“It was one of the toughest decisions of my life,” he said last September. “Liverpool is my home; it made me who I am. But Madrid felt like the right step, at the right time. It is definitely a challenge, but it's a challenge I welcome.
”The Bernabeu is a sacred place. You feel the weight of the jersey, but that very thing pushes you to give it your all.
“Of course the legacy (of Real Madrid) is undeniable. But more than that, what attracted me was the ambition and the desire to prove myself in a new context.
“Yes, I feel it's a personal transformation as well as a professional one. Moving to a new country, learning a new culture, pushes you as a person. It's more than soccer.”
Trent Alexander-Arnold of Real Madrid
Alexander-Arnold ultimately left Liverpool for Real Madrid in 2025(Image: M Gracia Jimenez/Soccrates/Getty Images)
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Alexander-Arnold featured 30 times for Real in all competitions last term but made only 14 league starts as he battled injuries. The full-back has begun the new campaign as a rotational option under former United boss Mourinho, with summer signing Denzel Dumfries and club captain Fede Valverde providing competition at right-back.
The former Liverpool star remained an unused substitute as midfielder Valverde was deployed at full-back against Sevilla at the weekend. Alexander-Arnold has started three league games and been left on the bench on four occasions so far this season.
In the Champions League, Mourinho trialled the England international in midfield against Inter Milan before he was once again unused in Real’s win over Roma. The right-back will hope to stake his claim against RB Leipzig on Wednesday as he attempts to become a regular starter for the Spanish giants.