After three matches under Xabi Alonso, Trent Alexander-Arnold opened up about his new start at Real Madrid, revealing the challenges that came with his high-profile move.
Alexander-Arnold spent 20 years in Merseyside, winning all there is to win for Liverpool, before joining Real Madrid on a free transfer this summer. The right back only had a few weeks between his final match at Anfield and his first in a white shirt at the FIFA Club World Cup.
The decision to bid farewell to his boyhood club came with mixed reactions, as did his Real Madrid debut. Alexander-Arnold struggled in his first appearance for Los Blancos, failing to keep up with Al Hilal’s Salem Al-Dawsari, losing more than half of his duels and completing zero tackles in 65 minutes on the pitch.
The 26-year-old slowly found his grove in a white shirt, though, putting in a much-improved shift against Pachuca and then playing the best match of his short Real Madrid tenure against RB Salzburg. In Los Blancos’ 3–0 victory over the Austrian side, Alexander-Arnold created the most chances in the match, including a brilliant backheel pass to Jude Bellingham which should have resulted in a goal, and completed the most tackles.
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Following the impressive performance, Alexander-Arnold spoke to Mail Sport and pulled back the curtain on his transition to not only Real Madrid, but also playing as a right wing-back.
“I enjoyed it [playing as wing-back]. Adapting to a new role in a new team is always going to be a challenge, but I enjoy challenges. It gets the best out of me personally,” Alexander-Arnold shared.
“It worked clearly and that’s a good start. There’s still work to do but it’s good signs and our best game so far. I’m enjoying being a part of this team and I love playing football. No matter where I play, I love playing the game.”
Alonso indeed deployed a 3-5-2 against Salzburg, allowing Alexander-Arnold and Fran García to fly forward in possession along either side of the pitch. The England international played with great freedom in the attack knowing he had the support and cover of Dean Huijsen, Aurélien Tchouaméni and Antonio Rüdiger.
Still, Alexander-Arnold is working to overcome the language barrier between himself and his new team.
“The manager speaks to me a lot individually to make sure I understand everything because all the meetings are in Spanish,” Alexander-Arnold revealed. “The language is the most difficult thing and it’s going to take a bit of time to adapt.”
After finishing atop Group H, Real Madrid now must gear up for the Club World Cup knockout stage. Los Blancos are set to clash with Juventus in the round of 16 on July 1.
“The settling in period is done and it’s about kicking on and being the best player I can be and helping the team win as many games as possible, starting with this competition. It’s knockout football,” Alexander-Arnold said.
“The history of this club shows that we win trophies. It’s what we do. It’s part of the DNA of the club. That’s our aim and ambition and that's what we want to do.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Most Difficult Thing’—Trent Alexander-Arnold Reflects on Real Madrid Start, Club World Cup Chances.
