Trent Alexander-Arnold admitted Liverpool will always be his “home”, but he could not pass up the challenge and opportunity of playing for Real Madrid.
It’s been just over three months since Alexander-Arnold bid farewell to his boyhood club after spending 20 years in Merseyside. The fullback helped Liverpool win all there was to win in England before he decided to make the move to the Spanish capital.
The Reds’ supporters did not take the decision too kindly at first, but they eventually gave their homegrown star a proper sendoff in his final appearance back in May. The next time Alexander-Arnold steps on the pitch at Anfield, he will be wearing white.
The highly anticipated Champions League meeting between Real Madrid and Liverpool will be a homecoming for Alexander-Arnold after making what called the “hardest decision of his life” to leave.
“Liverpool is my home; it made me who I am. But Madrid felt like the right step, at the right time,” Alexander-Arnold revealed in an interview with GQ Spain.
“Liverpool made me who I am,” he continued. “More than anything, it was the ambition and personal desire for change. To challenge myself in a new environment.”
Alexander-Arnold joined Liverpool at age six and climbed through the ranks to eventually become the club’s vice-captain. The right back built a well-earned legacy in a red shirt as he helped bring nine trophies, including two Premier League titles and one Champions League title, to Merseyside.
Yet the Englishman left it all behind to embark on a new chapter at Real Madrid, joining the likes of Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior in Madrid.
“Of course, [Real Madrid’s] legacy is undeniable. But more than that, what attracted me was the ambition and the desire to test myself in a new context,” Alexander-Arnold said.
More pressure is on Alexander-Arnold than ever before now that he plays for the biggest club in the world. All eyes are on the blockbuster signing who has yet to look his best since the move to Spain.
“It’s definitely a challenge, but it’s one I welcome,” Alexander-Arnold admitted. “The Bernabéu is a sacred place. You feel the weight of the shirt, but that’s what drives you to give your all.”
Los Blancos are banking on Alexander-Arnold to help bring major trophies back to the Spanish capital after the club’s poor 2024–25 campaign. It is now up to the ex-Liverpool star to live up to the expectations of the Real Madrid badge.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Ambition’—Alexander-Arnold Reveals Key Reason Behind Real Madrid Move, Reflects on Liverpool Exit.
