Former Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold has reflected on the reaction of fans following his switch to Real Madrid and the impact it made on him when returning home
Trent Alexander-Arnold of Real Madrid looks on during the friendly match between Real Madrid and CD Leganes
Trent Alexander-Arnold has discussed his return to Liverpool(Image: (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images))
Trent Alexander-Arnold has revealed the upset that the reaction of Liverpool fans caused him and his family upon his return to his home last year.
The defender was the subject of abuse following the announcement of his exit from Anfield, as a long-running saga over his contract situation saw him leave the Reds for Real Madrid. It was a saga that has been one of many setbacks for Alexander-Arnold, ever since he announced that exit, with the problems piling up.
His time at Real Madrid has been impacted by injuries and off-pitch instability, with the latest blow being the fact that he was benched for the side's opener against Espanyol over the weekend.
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The frustrations are just the latest that he has experienced, though few may have caused as much emotion as the return he made to Liverpool last year.
While some fans booed him during the remaining games of his tenure with the club, others took it a step further, defacing a mural of the academy graduate that was nearby with the word "rat" repeatedly posted over it.
When he returned to Liverpool shortly after with Los Blancos for a Champions League encounter, Alexander-Arnold revealed the impact the abuse had on him and his family.
Alexander-Arnold was booed by sections of the Liverpool support in November last year
Alexander-Arnold was booed by sections of the Liverpool support in November last year(Image: Carl Recine, Getty Images)
Speaking to The Mirror, he said: "Going back to Liverpool after everything that’s happened, it was on my mind.
"If I'm honest, if something affects me and upsets me, it shows in my family as well. They are in it with me… we’re together."
Alexander-Arnold wasn't fit enough to start that match for Real Madrid in November 2025, after suffering an injury earlier in the campaign, but he did make his return to Anfield on the pitch from the substitutes' bench.
It was a different experience for the star, who had spent all of his playing career in the home locker room at Anfield, but he had to switch that for the visitors.
On that change, he said: "Even from the outset, even the thought of going into the away changing room was strange. I’d never actually stepped foot in there before."
Alexander-Arnold was booed by the Liverpool fans at the ground, something he had already experienced as a player before his switch, but it was a new experience as an opposition player.
Time has passed since then, but the defender is still facing some issues in his time with Real Madrid in what could be a pivotal season for his career with the club.
It remains to be seen whether he can bounce back and find the form he once had at Anfield, or whether the move simply won't work out.