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Arne Slot and Ryan Gravenberch have promised Trent Alexander-Arnold he will receive a warm welcome from them, even if he doesn’t get one from Liverpool’s fans.
Alexander-Arnold returns to Anfield for the first time since his summer exit as the Reds host Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday. Ahead of the game, there has been a lot of debate about the impact his departure has had on his former side, as well as the reception he’ll receive back on Merseyside.
Plenty of pundits have suggested that Liverpool misses its former vice-captain, with the defending Premier League champions having only picked up a second win in the last eight games against Aston Villa on Saturday.
Despite that, there is still a great deal of bitterness from supporters with the manner in which Alexander-Arnold left the club, having run down his contract and announced his decision before the end of last season.
The 27-year-old could therefore be in for a hostile welcome should he take to the Anfield turf again on Tuesday, although Slot has assured him there are no hard feelings from him.
“I can only tell you what kind of reception he gets from me,” the Liverpool head coach said in his pre-match press conference. “I have great memories of the player and the human being.
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“He was our vice-captain, he was my vice-captain last season. I have memories working with him that are only positive, and I have memories when I was watching him in front of the television, which are only positive as well.
“I can remember multiple great moments of him wearing the Liverpool shirt, so he will get a warm welcome by me.
"Let’s first wait and see if he’s on the pitch tomorrow, and how our fans will react, I have no clue how that’s going to be, but he gets a warm welcome from me, that’s for sure.”
And Slot isn’t the only one who has guaranteed Alexander-Arnold a warm welcome, with his former teammate Gravenberch also looking forward to a reunion.
“From the fans, I don’t know, but when I see him, he is obviously a friend of mine, so I will give him a hug of of course,” Gravenberch said on Monday.
Asked whether he has had much contact with Alexander-Arnold since his departure, the midfielder added: “Not a lot, so it’s nice to see him tomorrow.”
Despite only returning from a hamstring injury recently, Alexander-Arnold does look likely to play some part in Tuesday's game.
The England international has been named in Xabi Alonso’s 22-man squad, and with Dani Carvajal out injured, a start against the Reds might not be out of the question.
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