Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown has claimed that Trent Alexander-Arnold was “magnificent” for Liverpool against the Gunners — while bizarrely suggesting that Jamie Carragher stoked the feeling against the player with comments he made as a pundit.
Just over a week ago, Alexander-Arnold confirmed that he would be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season. Six days later, he was then booed before, during and after the game against Arsenal, in which he came off the bench in the second half.
“I don’t think it’s helped when other former players have been a bit incendiary,” Keown said. “Saying, ‘Which player do you want to be compared to, Steven Gerrard or Steve McManaman?’. By the way, both players were equally brilliant for Liverpool. How do you judge the two?
“Maybe the fans think, ‘How does anyone want to leave Liverpool?’ Well do you know what, there’s news for you. Players do, there’s new things for them. He’s a top talent and I really wish him well now at Real Madrid.”
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot now has a decision to make on whether or not to play Alexander-Arnold in the final two games of the season given the reaction shown towards his vice-captain last Sunday.
Matches against Brighton (away) and Crystal Palace (home) will conclude the season for the Premier League champion, who has nothing to play for. But it remains to be seen whether Alexander-Arnold has now played his final minutes in red.
(Image: Getty Images)
“I want to say that Trent Alexander-Arnold, I thought he was magnificent yesterday,” Keown, speaking on talkSPORT, continued. “The way that he accepted the reaction of the fans.
“He didn’t offer up the ear and say, ‘OK, this is what you want to present to me, I can only give my best’.
“I think he’s one of those where, because he’s the fan on the pitch, a local lad, done well, they live it through him. They desperately wanted him to be there.
“Of course he loves that club, he always will, it’ll always be his club. But professionally, he’s taking his show to another club, he’s going to have another experience, another country.
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“He wants to go and experience something else, he’s won everything in the game. And what’s wrong with that?
“He can walk the streets of Liverpool a very proud man, and he should be allowed to do that. It’s happened in the past: [Kevin] Keegan left and [Kenny] Dalglish replaced him.”
Liverpool.com says: Reds fans are entitled to feel however they like about Alexander-Arnold. And it is not like the player himself wouldn’t have realized what the reaction would be.
He has seen how players who leave are viewed in the past and as a local star — whether it is fair or not — you are given different treatment. Alexander-Arnold has made his decision, and he would have known that it wasn’t going to go down well.
