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Former Liverpool midfielder Igor Biscan, who won the Champions League with the Reds in 2005, has admitted he feels sorry for Trent Alexander-Arnold after he was booed on his first return to Anfield.
Alexander-Arnold came off the bench as Liverpool beat Real Madrid in the Champions League a week ago, with a goal from Alexis Mac Allister sealing the win for Arne Slot's side. Xabi Alonso said the player was expecting to be jeered, but wanted to try and help his team draw level on the night.
"I feel sorry for everybody, to be honest, especially for Trent Alexander-Arnold," Biscan told Boyle Sports, who offer Champions League odds.
"After giving so much to the club, and of course, he got a lot from the club, it was always a special connection, I would say. To end like this and to be like this, as it looked from the outside, is just not good for anybody.
"But I think with the help of time, in the future, it will settle down, and people will realize that everybody at some point would want to try something else.
"There is no easy way out or simple, gentle, or sensitive solution for situations like that sometimes in life.
"So I think after a while people will realize, and then the next time when he comes back to play, I think the reaction will be completely different."
In time, Alexander-Arnold might be able to come back to Liverpool, as the likes of Fernando Torres have to a warm reception in recent times. At the moment, though, his exit is still raw.
"He’s a local lad; he’s from West Derby," Wayne Rooney said on The Overlap Fan Debate, brought to you by Sky Bet.
"That’s why it hurts Liverpool fans, and I get it. We had Cristiano Ronaldo, who we all knew was going to Real Madrid at the end of the season.
"But the fact that Trent is a local lad, for any team seeing local lads coming through and being successful is the best feeling in the world. I don’t blame him for going to Madrid, but there should’ve been some communication.
"Obviously, me going to Manchester United is a bit different being a Scouser too. When I went back to Goodison, I got booed by the fans — you’ve got to get on with it.
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"It hurts. It’s the club I love and that my whole family supports, but at the end of the day, it’s football. Players move on, players stay, and in time, when Trent comes back, the fans will remember what he’s done and how successful he’s been at the club.
"At the minute, it’s still quite raw. I was expecting him to get booed — during the game, do what you want to put him off.
"I just think at the end, it might’ve been nice if he’d gone and just had a little clap round and maybe got a few claps back. But it’s football — you can’t take it too hard."
Liverpool.com says: Reds fans don't like the idea that Alexander-Arnold went back on his comments about wanting to be a legend and captain the club. He also didn't say anything during his final season, but turned up in Madrid speaking Spanish.
While he plays for another team, he is likely to be booed. After all, Liverpool supporters want to give their side the best chance of winning the game.
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