Steven Gerrard says he would not have been able to leave Liverpool in his prime as he questioned Trent Alexander-Arnold’s decision to move to Real Madrid this summer.
Plenty of Liverpool fans were left frustrated by Alexander-Arnold’s decision to let his contract wind down and strike a deal with Real Madrid, who ended up paying a small fee to sign the right back in time for last summer’s Club World Cup.
Gerrard confessed he found himself in a similar situation during his playing days and acknowledged the impact interest from Real Madrid can have on a player, but insisted he could not have followed through with a departure like Alexander-Arnold did.
“If I take my Liverpool hat off, I think any player in the game when Barcelona and Real Madrid come, it’s going to turn your head,” Gerrard told Rio Ferdinand Presents. “This is me speaking without my Liverpool hat on at the moment.
“Real Madrid came for me with [José] Mourinho, serious. And it turned my head. It didn’t get as much traction and noise as Chelsea because it was shut down pretty quick because of the timing of it and what Real Madrid wanted me to do to manufacture that.
“So it never got the traction or the noise, but it turned my head. It turned my head, for sure. It’s Real Madrid. So without my Liverpool hat on, Real Madrid and Barcelona, whether you like it or not, if you’re a [Manchester] United fan, Liverpool fan, they’re two humongous clubs. And when they come, it’s going to turn your head. No matter who you are, it’s going to turn your head or you’re not... you’re not human. They’re going to turn your head.
“So I can understand it from being in Trent’s shoes. I can understand it. I get it. His best mate [Jude Bellingham] plays there. Maybe he wants to challenge himself. He’s won everything at Liverpool. So there’s a part of me that really understands it.
“But as soon as I put my Liverpool hat back on, I think, ‘What are you doing? What are you doing?’ You’re arguably one of the best teams in Europe. You’re winning things that I sit here now and still dream of winning. You’re winning European Cups. You’re one of the main men. The fans adore you. What are you doing? But this is with my Liverpool hat on, because I love Liverpool Football Club.”
Gerrard: Criticism of Alexander-Arnold Went Too Far
The next person that flirts with Real Madrid or Barcelona, they’re going to get stick.Gerrard on future Liverpool exits.
In the modern game, players are well aware of the backlash their every move is exposed to because of social media. Many Liverpool fans were unsurprisingly frustrated with Alexander-Arnold but, while Gerrard insisted a certain level of disappointment is normal, some of the abuse directed at the right back crossed the line.
“I understand it,” he continued. “And you know the stick he got. So what? I got it. The next person that flirts with Real Madrid or Barcelona or blah, blah, blah, they’re going to get stick.
“We play a game with millions and millions of people that are paying good money or they’re all on social. You’re going to get a bit of stick. You’re going to get a bit of stick. It is what it is. The stick that goes above the line, I don’t agree with. The abuse. All that, I don’t agree with that with any player. That’s not for me. That’s just a load of b------s. That’s got to stop.
“But constructive criticism from a fan who’s paying money and buying your shirt and blah, blah, blah, they deserve to have anything. They’re the same people that were watching Trent’s goals on the phone or spending £3,000 to go to Dortmund to see Trent score a free kick. They’re the same people that adore him, that are spending £90 on a shirt.
“You’ve got to accept it. Get on with it. It is what it is. That is constructive opinions in football. You have to get on with it. You have to accept. Just get on with it. And he has.”
Alexander-Arnold Good Enough to Justify Controversial Move
Leaving his comfort zone in Liverpool was undoubtedly a tough move for Alexander-Arnold, who has spoken openly about his desire to win the Ballon d’Or and his belief that Madrid can boost his case for the award.
“I just think he took a big risk on,” Gerrard concluded. “He’s an extremely good footballer, a very talented footballer. One of the best passers I’ve ever seen and I’ve played with some good passers. He’s up there with them. He’s in the conversation with [David] Beckham and [Paul] Scholes, no problem.
"But to leave Liverpool Football Club where he was at in the prime years, getting off with a new contract, he took a risk on in my opinion. And I think he’s living that risk now.
“I hope it works for him because I love the kid. Love the kid to bits. I wouldn’t have done it. But he’s good enough to make it work.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Steven Gerrard Questions Trent Alexander-Arnold’s Real Madrid Motives.
