Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk revealed he has no intention of seeing Trent Alexander-Arnold following the Reds’ 1–0 victory over Real Madrid on Tuesday evening.
Although Alexander-Arnold was not fit enough to start the game, the England international still dominated headlines in the lead up to his highly anticipated return to Anfield.
The former Red was greeted by a chorus of boos during warm-ups and then when he came on the pitch in the 81st minute. The brief cameo was the first appearance in seven weeks for Alexander-Arnold, who suffered a hamstring injury in early September.
An icy Anfield reception for Trent Alexander-Arnold as he returns to face his boyhood club 🥶 pic.twitter.com/C23fertReI
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The bristling reception from the loyal Liverpool supporters was echoed by Van Dijk in his postgame interview with Prime Video, though not as overtly.
When asked if he had seen Alexander-Arnold before the match or if he plans to see his former teammate at some point after the match, the centre back emphatically responded, “No.” He then repeated the one-word answer with a tone that left no room for follow-up questions.
Alexander-Arnold still shared embraces with several of his former teammates, including Mohamed Salah and Ibrahima Konaté, as well as Arne Slot after the final whistle of Liverpool’s victory.
Unlike other times this season, the defending English champions did not miss their former vice-captain on the right flank on Tuesday night. Conor Bradley put in an exceptional performance to silence Vinícius Júnior, who ended the game without a shot on target.
Jude Bellingham Responds to Alexander-Arnold’s Hostile Reception
Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham also spoke with Prime Video after the match and gave his take on the loud whistles that followed Alexander-Arnold at Anfield.
“It is one of those things in football. The fans booing isn’t a reflection of how they feel about him,” Bellingham said.
“I think it is more to give their team the edge and throw him off a little bit. I am sure they’re appreciative of what he has done for the club. It is one of those things.”
Bellingham was ecstatic to welcome his good friend and fellow countryman Alexander-Arnold to the Spanish capital this summer. The ex-Liverpool star bid farewell to his boyhood club after 20 years to begin a new chapter at Real Madrid, one that has had a less-than-ideal start.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Virgil van Dijk Gives Telling One-Word Response to Alexander-Arnold’s Anfield Return.
