Xabi Alonso has insisted he was happy with what he saw from Trent Alexander-Arnold in the right back’s first outing for Real Madrid on Wednesday.
Alexander-Arnold, whose free transfer from Liverpool was brought forward for the Club World Cup for a fee of €10 million (£8.6 million, $11.5 million), started Wednesday’s opener against Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal, but failed to catch the eye in a frustrating 1–1 draw.
Indeed, many expressed disappointment towards what was undoubtedly a challenging outing for the England international, who failed to complete a single tackle as he struggled up against Salem Al Dawsari and Renan Lodi, but Alonso took a more positive viewpoint.
“First I’d like to congratulate them, because this is a big day for them,” Alonso said of Alexander-Arnold and fellow debutant Dean Huijsen. “Making a Real Madrid debut will surely have an impact on them.
“I’m thrilled because they have that personality and they’ll be important players for us. Having them here will give us added quality.”
Alonso continued: “It was a special day for both. Dean had a very strong game, and Trent kept improving as the match went on. They raised our level.”
Asked to sum up his own debut, Alexander-Arnold acknowledged the heat inside Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium posed a challenge which he never had to battle during his time in England.
“It’s a very proud moment for me,” he said. “It’s a moment that most, if not all players, dream of at some point in their life.
“But it was very challenging to play in that heat and very different from England.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Xabi Alonso Provides Assessment of Trent Alexander-Arnold's Real Madrid Debut.
