Trent Alexander-Arnold was booed by Liverpool fans during Sunday’s 2-2 draw against Arsenal, as teammate Andrew Robertson admitted it was “not nice” to hear the jeers directed at the defender in his first appearance since confirming he will leave the club at the end of the season.
The Liverpool right-back announced his impending departure on Monday, with reports strongly linking him to a summer move to Spanish giants Real Madrid.
Returning to Anfield for the first time since the news broke, the 26-year-old was introduced as a substitute in the 67th minute and received a mixed reaction from the home crowd. While some fans clapped and cheered the academy graduate—who has won two Premier League titles and the Champions League—others audibly booed him each time he touched the ball during the second half.
Despite the hostile reception from sections of the crowd, Alexander-Arnold remained composed on the pitch as Arsenal fought back from two goals down, even after being reduced to 10 men following Mikel Merino’s late red card.
Speaking after the match, Andrew Robertson said he sympathised with his teammate and close friend. “There’s a lot of emotion around it,” he said. “For Trent, it’s not been an easy one. Of course it’s not. But he’s made the decision. It’s not nice to see a friend get booed, it wasn’t nice. But as I said, we can’t tell people how to act. I can’t tell you how I feel about it, I’m extremely proud of him. I love him as a player, I love him as a friend. He will be missed as one of my best friends in the game.”
Liverpool manager Arne Slot, who opted to start 21-year-old Northern Irish fullback Conor Bradley in place of Alexander-Arnold, appeared to be planning for the future. Bradley was well received by the crowd, who sang his name throughout the game, signalling their support for the next generation.
Slot commented on the fan reaction after the match, saying, “There were people who were not so happy, there were people who were happy for him. They clapped for him. A few of them booed. I will always back my players, the ones I lead and wear the red shirt. It would not be fair to focus only on the Liverpool fans that booed. If they want to, it’s fine, but there were a lot of people that were really positive about him as well.”
He added that Alexander-Arnold would still be considered for selection in Liverpool’s remaining fixtures. “The thing I consider is I want to win a game of football and if we think we can win with Trent, I owe it to his teammates and to the fans, because they hired me to win as many games of football as possible,” Slot said. “And if I think there’s a better chance of winning with Trent, then I will pick him. If I think it’s a distraction or whatever can happen for us not to play a good game of football, then I might make another decision.”
Alexander-Arnold is the latest high-profile Liverpool player to move to Real Madrid, following in the footsteps of Steve McManaman in 1999 and Michael Owen in 2004. Neither transfer was received warmly by Liverpool supporters, and the resentment has lingered over the years.
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher also weighed in on the controversy, expressing disappointment at the boos. “That’s the story of the game. That’s what we will be talking about after the game, and the back pages of every newspaper tomorrow,” he said. “I’m surprised how many. When you’re in a crowd of 60,000, there’s no doubt there’s a lot of unhappy people at Liverpool about the situation, and I’ve said that’s understandable. But for me, I don’t believe that any player putting that red shirt on, going out to play for the club and trying to win them points or win them trophies should be booed.”
