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John Aldridge has admitted he can understand why some Liverpool fans will “never forgive” Trent Alexander-Arnold for joining Real Madrid over the summer, but has called on supporters not to “take things too far” ahead of his return on Tuesday.
Within hours of Aldridge’s column being published in the Liverpool ECHO, Alexander-Arnold’s mural outside Anfield was defaced. The word “rat” was painted on the wall, while white paint was thrown over the image of the boyhood Red.
It underlines the strength of feeling in relation to the now Real defender ahead of his Anfield reunion on Tuesday, when he will head to the ground as an opponent for the first time in his career.
On his penultimate home appearance for Liverpool, Alexander-Arnold was booed by large sections of the crowd, and he is expected to receive similar treatment during the midweek Champions League game.
But Aldridge, a man who played for Liverpool and in La Liga, said there should be some perspective from fans, while encouraging them to remember Alexander-Arnold’s contributions in a red shirt.
“I expect the reaction overall for the returning Trent Alexander-Arnold to be mixed,” he told the ECHO.
“There will be some fans who will be at him all through the evening, while others will be mindful of the contribution he gave Liverpool during his time at the club.
“Personally, I’d like to move on. He’s not a Liverpool player anymore – he plays for Real Madrid. I’d rather we just worry about ourselves.
“That said, there is absolutely nothing wrong with jeering him should he play. This is about doing whatever it takes to help Liverpool win what will be a tough game.
“I just hope the fans don’t take things too far with Trent,” the 67-year-old added. “He was a great player for us and contributed hugely to our success during his time at the club.
“And people shouldn’t forget he might well come back to play for the club again one day. We don’t want to shut that door in his face by going over the top needlessly with abuse.
“I understand why some fans will never forgive him for leaving. I just hope we show the good side of a hostile welcome for him and all the Real Madrid players.”
Meanwhile, both Arne Slot and Ryan Gravenberch said they will welcome Alexander-Arnold back to Anfield, despite his decision to leave last summer.
“I can only tell you what kind of reception he gets from me,” said the Liverpool head coach on Monday. “I have great memories of the player and the human being.
“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.
“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.”
As hinted by Slot, Alexander-Arnold’s place in the team looks uncertain, given he has not played for Real since September 16. After recovering from a hamstring injury that kept him out for around a month, the 27-year-old has been an unused substitute in the last two matches.
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