Trent Alexander-Arnold's summer break has now ended, with the Real Madrid defender seen in training
Trent Alexander-Arnold of Real Madrid during training with his teammates at Ciudad Real Madrid on April 23, 2026 in Madrid, Spain.
Trent Alexander-Arnold has been working hard in training over the summer break(Image: Getty )
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Trent Alexander-Arnold has showcased his hunger to bounce back from bitter disappointment in a new training clip. The former Liverpool defender, 27, has suffered a torrid year since leaving his boyhood club for Real Madrid.
He played just 30 games across all competitions last term, several of which were substitute appearances, owing to disappointing form and two separate injuries. That all resulted in an underwhelming first campaign in Spain, which led to his stunning omission from Thomas Tuchel’s 26-man World Cup squad.
Alexander-Arnold’s place in Real Madrid’s starting eleven is also under threat despite Dani Carvajal’s exit, thanks to Jose Mourinho’s arrival. The Portuguese manager famously builds his teams around defensive solidity, one of Alexander-Arnold’s biggest weaknesses, and has already signed Denzel Dumfries in his position.
But the Liverpudlian right-back has seemingly sought to prove a point to his doubters by sharing a montage on his Instagram account of his solo ball drills and gruelling conditioning over the summer. He capped off the hard work with the caption: "Summer done."
Having been widely seen as one of the best right-backs in world football during his time at Anfield, Alexander-Arnold will be desperate to prove a point to Mourinho in particular. He rejoined his Los Blancos team-mates today for the start of official pre-season training under the new manager.
The defender’s incredible fall from grace is best summed up by his omission from England’s World Cup squad. He was left out in favour of Reece James and Tino Livramento ahead of the tournament. Even more shockingly, centre-back Trevoh Chalobah was picked as a replacement ahead of him once Livramento’s injury ruled him out of the World Cup.
The position has proven to be a constant problem for Tuchel, which will only fuel Alexander-Arnold’s determination further. First-choice James picked up an injury during the group stages that ruled him out of several games.
Jarell Quansah took his place, but the ex-Reds star still needs to serve one more game of his two-match ban following a straight sending off against Mexico, having missed the quarter-final win over Norway already. Ezri Konsa, Declan Rice and Djed Spence have all played at right-back too but no one has managed to make the position their own.
England next face Argentina in a monumental World Cup semi-final clash this Wednesday night. Alexander-Arnold will no doubt be watching intently, deeply frustrated that he isn't there to assist the Three Lions in their goal of lifting the iconic trophy.
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