Trent Alexander-Arnold says the abuse he receives from Liverpool supporters online continues to hurt him, more than a year after he swapped Anfield for the Santiago Bernabéu on a free transfer.
The 27-year-old, speaking to the Mirror, admits the reaction to his departure from the club he has supported since childhood still stings — not because he expects universal forgiveness, but because of what he gave to Liverpool across two decades.
"It hurts because of how much I've put into the club over the course of 20 years and the sacrifices I made for the club during that period," he said. "I hope one day there'll be a degree of understanding about the decisions I wanted to make around my own life."
Online abuse versus the reality on Merseyside
Alexander-Arnold is at pains to separate two very different experiences. When he returns home to visit family in Liverpool, not a single face-to-face interaction echoes what lands in his notifications. It is the anonymity of the internet, he suggests, that strips away perspective.
"Not a single interaction I've had in person reflects the sort of stuff you get online or via social media," he said. "I choose to keep those things away from me because they don't feel real."
He was booed on his return to Anfield in November, when Real Madrid lost 1-0 in the Champions League, but he insists he can rationalise that reaction. Disappointment from the stands is something he can shoulder. Messages that cross the line are a different matter — he calls it a "sad part of life" in 2026 while making clear those messages are not representative of either the club or the city he loves.
"This isn't me saying everyone in Liverpool is fine with me leaving the club — of course they aren't. But that's very different from the stuff that goes beyond the football," he added.
World Cup omission leaves him «properly gutted»
Compounding a disrupted debut season in Spain — he appeared in 35 of Real Madrid's 62 matches across all competitions — came the call from Thomas Tuchel that every player dreads. Alexander-Arnold had held out hope of making England's World Cup squad, only for Tuchel to ring with news that he would not be travelling.
"I'll be honest, I was full of hope," he said. "When I put the phone down, I was properly gutted. I hope the coaching staff would expect and understand that I was angry."
His most recent cap came as a substitute in a 1-0 win over Andorra in June 2025 — his 34th for England — and he has made no secret of how much the international stage matters to him. "He wants players who are desperate to play for England. I am one of those," he said of Tuchel.
Rather than letting the frustration fester, Alexander-Arnold is channelling it. He watched England throughout the tournament and says his hunger for an international recall has not dimmed in the slightest.
"Until I retire, I'm still an England player, whether I'm selected or not," he insisted. "I want to use it as fuel to get back into England squads and then back in an England shirt. That's an aim of mine and I hope to achieve it."
A boyhood club that will always matter
Despite everything, Alexander-Arnold says he watches every Liverpool game and that Anfield retains a permanent place in his heart. The noises out of his camp suggest this is a man who genuinely wants bridges rebuilt over time, not burned entirely.
Whether supporters at Anfield soften their stance remains to be seen. For now, one of English football's finest right-backs is trying to convert hurt into motivation — and hoping that, eventually, the city that made him might come to understand why he left.
Frequently asked
- Why did Trent Alexander-Arnold leave Liverpool?
- Alexander-Arnold left Liverpool on a free transfer in the summer of 2024 to join Real Madrid, citing personal decisions he wanted to make about his own career and life. He has described Liverpool as a club that will always hold a place in his heart.
- Was Trent Alexander-Arnold in England's World Cup squad?
- No. Alexander-Arnold was left out of Thomas Tuchel's England squad for the 2026 World Cup. His last cap came as a substitute against Andorra in June 2025, and he has spoken openly about how angry and gutted he felt after receiving the call.
- How did Alexander-Arnold get on at Real Madrid last season?
- His debut campaign in Spain was disrupted, but he still featured in 35 of Real Madrid's 62 matches across all competitions during the 2024-25 season.