Liverpool vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold has confirmed that he will be leaving his boyhood club in the summer, with Real Madrid expected to snap up the right-back on a free transfer when his contract expires.
But while Alexander-Arnold has made the difficult decision to try something new after two decades with Liverpool, he says his love for the club that he grew up supporting and then won every trophy possible with will not diminish. Indeed, he has vowed to return as often as possible, even though he will soon play for a European rival.
“The love I have for this club will never leave,” he said in an official club video that announced his departure. “It will never diminish. I’ll love it forever. I’ll forever be in debt to the club and the fans for everything they’ve done for me.
“And there’s no doubt about it, I’ll be back. Any chance I get, I’ll come, watch games, I’ll be supporting. I will be wanting the club to win, wanting the club to be successful. There’s nothing changing in that. I will always remain a Liverpool fan.”
Liverpool attempted to convince Alexander-Arnold that he should stay put, offering a large salary and putting in place a successful team, of which its number 66 has been a big part so far under Arne Slot.
However, there was one thing that it was impossible to put on the table for the player and his representatives: the chance to try something new. After 20 years at Liverpool, Alexander-Arnold wanted a new challenge in a different environment.
(Image: LFC TV)
“It’s not about wanting to find something better,” he insisted. “It’s about me and my personal journey as a player and I feel like now is the right time for me to go and experience that.
“People won’t be happy with the decision, but it’s something that I feel like I need to do on my journey and my career.
“The times that I’ve had here, the memories, the special moments are and will always be some of the best moments I’ll have in my life. They are memories that will live in me forever.
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“I’m eternally grateful to everyone who’s helped me along the way. Being able to sit here now as a two-time Premier League champion for the club that I grew up loving, it’s a great end to the story for me.
“Of course it’s very emotional for me, it’s all I’ve ever known. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted to do and dreamed of as a kid.”
Liverpool.com says: Alexander-Arnold will move on with a heavy heart. He says it was an incredibly difficult decision and there is no reason to doubt that being the case.
The allure of Real Madrid is substantial, even if Liverpool fans might think that he should have stayed loyal to his boyhood club and continued winning under Slot. His legacy will change, but that doesn’t change the fact he won everything at Anfield.
