When it came to this season’s disconnect between Liverpool players and fans, Trent Alexander-Arnold was ahead of the curve.
The Scouser publicly played games with the supporter base over his new contract last year, ultimately hiding what he’d seemingly known full-well for a long time: that he was running it down to leave for Real Madrid.
Liverpool fans let him know exactly what they thought about that, booing him vociferously as his time as a Red came to an end. But while many supporters maintain that he deserved the riposte, Alexander-Arnold was reportedly really affected by the boos.
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PSG players celebrate after scoring during the Ligue 1 match against Toulouse at the Parc des Princes (Credit: Getty Images/Tnani Badreddine/DeFodi Images).
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Alexander-Arnold left ‘deeply upset’ by manner of Liverpool exit
Alexander-Arnold was also predictably booed when he returned to Anfield with Real Madrid in November, and will be again if the two teams meet in this season’s Champions League semi-final.
Despite everything, it is still a shame to see how far the once celebrated Liverpool academy graduate has fallen in the eyes of his own people.
And according to The Daily Mail, the right-back was also ‘deeply upset’ by the manner in which he exited his boyhood club.
Alexander-Arnold is said to have been saddened by the way the ending of his Liverpool career played out, with fans turning on him in their thousands.
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No matter, the 27-year-old has seemingly got over it, with a possibly hyperbolic claim that he is now ‘adored’ by the Spanish press after some good performances for Real Madrid.
After some struggles with fitness, Alexander-Arnold is finally putting a run of games together for his new club, but as he showed during Saturday’s defeat against Real Mallorca, there are still big question marks over his ability as a defender.
Liverpool supporters were willing to overlook those deficiencies and back one of their own for close to a decade. But after he turned his back on them in such disappointing fashion, he should perhaps ponder his own actions rather than point the finger at others.
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