Leaving Liverpool for Real Madrid was “one of the toughest decisions” – Alexander-Arnold
The England international left his boyhood club in early June, joining Los Blancos
Trent Alexander-Arnold has admitted that leaving Liverpool for Real Madrid was “one of the toughest decisions” of his life, but says the opportunity to thrive in Spain was one he could not pass up earlier this year.
The England international, who had been with the Reds since the age of six, left his boyhood club in early June, joining Los Blancos in a £10million deal.
His contract with Liverpool was just a month from expiring, and the transfer was expedited to allow him to feature for Madrid in the lucrative Club World Cup in the United States.
Had it not been for Madrid’s insistence on having him Stateside, Alexander-Arnold would have left as a free agent at the end of June – a move that sparked controversy among many supporters.
Speaking to GQ Spain as part of his new partnership with fashion giant Calvin Klein, Alexander-Arnold revealed that uprooting from Merseyside was far from an easy decision.
“It was one of the toughest decisions of my life,” Trent Alexander-Arnold said.
“Liverpool is my home; it made me who I am. But Madrid felt like the right step, at the right time. It is definitely a challenge, but it’s a challenge I welcome.
”The Bernabeu is a sacred place. You feel the weight of the jersey, but that very thing pushes you to give it your all.
“Of course the legacy (of Real Madrid) is undeniable. But more than that, what attracted me was the ambition and the desire to prove myself in a new context.
”Yes, I feel it’s a personal transformation as well as a professional one. Moving to a new country, learning a new culture, pushes you as a person. It’s more than soccer.”
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