2 hours ago
26
Liverpool fans are divided over the club's official social media birthday tribute to Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Premier League legend Gary Lineker believes he's been sorely missed at Anfield this season.
The defender marked his 27th birthday on Tuesday, sparking a flood of tributes. His current club, Real Madrid, posted a message on Twitter, while his childhood team Liverpool penned: "Happy birthday, Trent Alexander-Arnold," accompanied by a confetti emoji and a photo of the defender lifting the Premier League trophy.
However, this post ignited controversy among some Liverpool supporters. Reds fans are still deeply affected by his move to the Santiago Bernabeu after his contract ended.
One fan noted: "This is such an odd move what is going on," while another humorously asked: "Have you been hacked?".
Another follower remarked: "Get the distinct impression this will not go down well with the masses!," while a different supporter queried: "Lads we've just lost 3 on the bounce, could you not?"
One irate Liverpool fan retorted: "Ah yeah, we've just lost three on the bounce, so celebrating a player who betrayed us only a few months ago is a great idea, isn't it? Read the room."
Some fans, however, were more sympathetic, responding: "Happy birthday TAA. A lot of fans won't accept but you're still one of our own. See you soon in the Champions League. Have a great one mate."
Another added: "Happy Birthday, Trent Alexander-Arnold. Thank you for all the great memories, and trophies. Always a Red. A legend. Ynwa." These birthday greetings arrive during a tough period for Arne Slot's side, following consecutive losses to Galatasaray, Crystal Palace, and Chelsea.
Gary Lineker has hinted that the team is feeling the impact of Alexander-Arnold's absence. Speaking on The Rest Is Football, he observed: "In terms of creativity, as much as anything else, I think they're really missing Trent.
"Before that, sometimes Trent would go forward and they would, perhaps, get exposed defensively. But what he gives you going the other way, it's impossible to replace.
"There is not another player I can think of in world football who plays that position [right-back] in the way that he plays it offensively. I also think that Mo [Salah] is missing him, that connection that they had.
"Yes, sometimes they would get exposed in behind, but they would have someone try and cover that position - last season it was mostly [Dominik] Szoboszlai, previous to that would be Jordan Henderson. You've got to say it was worth his weight in gold going forward, and I always used to say, 'Stop worrying about him [Alexander-Arnold] making the odd tiny mistake defensively, because what he gives you the other way is incredible."
Despite a rocky start at Real Madrid, Trent Alexander-Arnold, the England international, has only been in the starting line-up for three matches for his new club and is currently out of action due to a hamstring injury.
English (US) ·