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Virgil van Dijk revealed he has barely spoken to Trent Alexander-Arnold since his summer departure from Liverpool, and hasn’t made contact ahead of the right-back’s return to Anfield on Tuesday.
The boyhood Red will face Liverpool for the first time in his career when Real Madrid travels to Merseyside for the midweek Champions League encounter. Alexander-Arnold should expect a frosty reception from the supporters who once adored him, following an acrimonious exit at the end of last season.
The 27-year-old chose to walk away from Liverpool to join the 15-time European champions, unlike Van Dijk, who signed a contract extension at Anfield in April. Alexander-Arnold was a popular figure in the dressing room during his time at the club, but there will clearly be no love lost on the pitch on Tuesday.
Van Dijk played alongside Alexander-Arnold 266 times for Liverpool, but said after Saturday’s win over Aston Villa that he has not spoken to his former teammate ahead of Tuesday’s reunion.
“Not much, no,” Van Dijk responded bluntly when asked whether there had been much contact since his move to Real.
“[It’s] nothing personal whatsoever. Obviously, I live my life and he lives his life in Madrid.
“I think Trent is a quality player,” Van Dijk continued. “He showed it so many times; he's a very gifted player and he was important for us over all those years.
“I was very happy to have him in my team. We have been very successful, but now he's an opponent on Tuesday. If he plays, then we have to make it very difficult for him to do what he's good at.”
As indicated by Van Dijk, Alexander-Arnold’s place in the team is not guaranteed. The 27-year-old has not featured for Real in nearly two months, and having recently returned from a hamstring injury, has been an unused substitute in the last two games.
A starting role seems incredibly unlikely, and should Alexander-Arnold feature off the bench, he is likely to be greeted by the boos he faced in his penultimate appearance for Liverpool.
Quizzed on what sort of reception he would expect his former teammate to receive, Van Dijk replied: “Let's see.
“I'm not going to comment on that. Do you want it to be hostile? I think he's been outstanding in his time in Liverpool and that's the only thing I can say.”
Meanwhile, Alexander-Arnold has conducted a detailed interview with Amazon Prime ahead of his return to Liverpool, revealing he won’t celebrate if he scores on Tuesday.
“Whatever way I’m received, is the decision of the fans,” said the Real defender. “I’ll always love the club, I’ll always be a fan of the club. I’ll always be thankful for the opportunities and the things we achieved together… they’ll live with me forever.
“No matter what, my feeling won’t change towards Liverpool. I’ve got memories there that will last me a lifetime, and no matter how I'm received, that won’t change.”
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