Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has fired back at fans who booed Trent Alexander-Arnold following the announcement of his potential move to Real Madrid earlier this month. Returning to a city he can forever rightly call home, the legendary German issued a heartfelt rallying cry for Reds supporters to show their departing right-back some love in his final game this Sunday.
Klopp - the man who turned doubters into believers and brought Anfield roaring back to its glory days of the 1970s and ’80s - made his first return to Liverpool this week since stepping away from the dugout a year ago. He appeared as a guest speaker at the LFC Foundation dinner at Liverpool Cathedral on Friday night, now in his new role as an ambassador. True to form, Klopp marked the occasion with immediate impact, donating £100,000 to support the Foundation’s community work.
Much has changed since Klopp last set foot on Merseyside, not least the Reds now basking in the glow of their 20th league title. New manager Arne Slot's maiden voyage has clearly picked up where Klopp's reign left off, sowing the seeds of sustained success and proving the story doesn’t end, it evolves.
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Jurgen Klopp Defends Trent Alexander-Arnold In Rallying Cry
The German admitted he turned the TV off after hearing him booed
Jurgen Klopp
Earlier this week, Slot somewhat stoked the rhetoric of Alexander-Arnold criticism as the current Liverpool boss admitted he wasn't always happy with the right-back's effort in training. This came during the Dutchman's final pre-match press conference of the season as Liverpool take on FA Cup winners Crystal Palace this Sunday before lifting the title and taking it around the city on an open-top bus parade the following afternoon.
Klopp, however, was very quick to produce a heartfelt speech at the city's cathedral just a couple of days later to remind his people of the legacy Alexander-Arnold leaves behind him when he departs his boyhood club this weekend. When the Red Bull Head of Global Soccer speaks, Merseyside listens, and he did another powerful job of easing the tension. While holding up a shirt he and Trent signed and later sold for £22,000, he said (see his full speech below):
"I’m not saying don’t be disappointed but don’t forget what he’s done for this club. I heard the booing, I switched the TV off. I couldn’t have been more disappointed. This isn’t us."
From his free-kick against Hoffenheim as an 18-year-old to his quickly-taken corner against Barcelona, Klopp also went on to reel off just a few of the many moments when Alexander-Arnold took on the role of superhero to help Liverpool roll back the clock on their way to forgotten success.
Should Alexander-Arnold feature against Crystal Palace on Sunday, he would be making his 354th appearance for the club.
Alexander-Arnold has scored 23 goals and provided 92 assists to date for the club. The full-back has won the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup. Alexander-Arnold will pick up his second Premier League winners' medal this weekend.