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Jamie Carragher has backed Trent Alexander-Arnold to find his feet at Real Madrid, despite a slow start to life in Spain following his exit from Liverpool.
The Reds’ former vice-captain is back at Anfield today as he faces his old side for the first time since leaving for the Bernabeu. His return has dominated the pre-match talk, given the manner in which he departed earlier in the year.
Although he has been assured of a warm welcome back from his former teammates and Arne Slot, the reception from the Liverpool supporters might prove to be frostier, with fans already having voiced their displeasure before Alexander-Arnold left last season.
The 27-year-old’s mural, which is situated not far from Anfield, has been vandalized ahead of today’s game, demonstrating some of the ill-feeling there is among supporters about Alexander-Arnold’s decision to run down his contract and make the move to Madrid.
Asked by The Athletic which of Alexander-Arnold or Xabi Alonso - himself a former Liverpool player and now Real’s head coach - would get a better reception, Carragher responded: “I think we all know the answer.”
It hasn’t quite been the start to life with the Spanish giants Alexander-Arnold would have envisaged. The England international found himself in and out of the team as he shared responsibilities at right-back with Dani Carvajal at the start of the season, while he has only just returned from around a month out with a hamstring injury.
Having not played a single minute in Real’s last two games, it’s uncertain just what part he’ll play in today’s game at Anfield, although Carragher has backed him to come good with the 15-time European champions.
“He’s been a bit unfortunate with the injury but I’m sure he will show the Real Madrid public exactly how good he is,” Carragher added.
Alexander-Arnold returns to Merseyside to find Liverpool in a much different state to the one he left it in during the summer.
A summer overhaul saw the club go big on signings like Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, although many of the new arrivals have struggled to settle in so far, with the Reds’ form suffering as a result.
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Many pundits have even suggested that Alexander-Arnold is missed by his old side - a theory that Carragher agrees with.
“You can see how much Liverpool have missed him, not just missing him at right-back but missing his creativity all over the pitch,” he said.
“He’s a fantastic player, which is why Real Madrid, the biggest club in the world, wanted to sign him.
“He had that great combination with Salah, who this season has the knock-on effect of not having Trent behind him. He’s a wonderful player technically, and also one of the best passers in world football.”
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