Trent Alexander-Arnold was greeted by a crescendo of boos upon his return to boyhood club Liverpool as a Real Madrid player.
The 27-year-old held his entrance back from the rest of the Spanish side, almost playing the pantomime villain, chatting to Liverpool members of staff just outside the tunnel.
He then grinned as he trotted onto the turf he spent so many years gracing but the Anfield crowd spotted him and immediately booed.
As he linked up with his Real team-mates, the right-back wore a broad smile and did not seem remotely bothered by the reception in the Merseyside rain on Tuesday night.
Alexander-Arnold was named by Xabi Alonso among the substitutes for the Champions League clash.
And fellow replacement Endrick appeared to joke with him about the reaction towards him from his old supporters, still angered by his decision to leave his boyhood club for the Spanish giants.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (right) grinned as he was booed by Liverpool fans at Anfield
Prior to the game, there was an indication of the hostile reaction that awaited Alexander-Arnold when his mural on the corner of Sybil Road near Anfield was vandalised.
The mural includes his reaction to winning the Champions League in 2019, when he declared: ‘I’m just a normal lad from Liverpool, whose dream has just come true.’
White paint was thrown over the depiction of Alexander-Arnold in his former No 66 Liverpool shirt.
The words ‘Adios El Rata’ – ‘Goodbye Rat’ – have also been written on the mural, along with three further statements declaring their former star to be a ‘rat’.
Alexander-Arnold had said in the run-up to his Anfield return: ‘Whatever way I’m received, is the decision of the fans.
‘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 feelings 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.’
The nature of Alexander-Arnold’s exit received a fierce backlash from the Liverpool fanbase last season after the boyhood fan’s contract had run down, preventing the club from garnering a significant fee for one of their most valuable and talented players.
Alexander-Arnold chatted to members of Liverpool staff before making his way onto the turf
Tottenham
Chelsea
*18+, excludes NI. Terms and conditions apply
The right-back smirked and Endrick (left) appeared to joke with him about the reaction
He was booed when he came off the bench as a substitute against Arsenal at Anfield having announced he would leave, with Real ultimately paying £10m to get him out of his contract early for the Club World Cup.
Alexander-Arnold spoke impressive Spanish when he was unveiled as a Real Madrid player, leading Liverpool fans to suggest he had been preparing for his exit for a considerable amount of time.
But he recently claimed he has only been learning the language for five months, meaning he started Spanish lessons on May 30, 2025 — just 14 days before his unveiling at the Bernabeu on June 12.
He also riled Liverpool fans by declaring: ‘It’s a dream come true,’ upon arrival.
‘I’m very happy and proud to be here. I want to show Real Madrid fans how I play’, he added, having previously declared that one day captaining Liverpool was his dream in multiple interviews, even going as far as saying silverware at the club ‘means more’ than at others.
The overall perception of Alexander-Arnold’s decision to leave his boyhood side for Real was captured by the official X page of Liverpool John Lennon Airport in the summer, as they posted a picture of him boarding a jet with the caption: ‘He even flew from Manchester’, along with a snake emoji.
And one-club man Jamie Carragher captured the sentiment by explaining: ”Players are loved even more when they genuinely mean it when they say they do not want to play for anyone else. If that image of the home-grown talent living the dream is an illusion, people feel let down.’
The Alexander-Arnold contract situation was a major talking point in the background throughout last season along with fellow stars Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk, who ultimately both signed new deals with the club.
But the right-back, who was vice captain, opted not to give interviews and refused to offer an update on his future until late in the campaign.
The defender was among the substitutes named by Xabi Alonso for the game
The club then shared a video farewell when his decision was announced, in which he read off autocue and was accused of critics of lacking sincere emotion.
Jurgen Klopp then appealed for fans to go easy on the right-back and hit back at those who booed him inside Anfield.
‘I’m not saying don’t be disappointed but don’t forget what he’s done for this club,’ said Klopp, who held up a signed Alexander-Arnold shirt as he spoke at the LFC Foundation dinner.
‘I heard the booing, I switched the TV off. I couldn’t have been more disappointed. This isn’t us.’
And the reaction changed when Liverpool lifted the Premier League trophy at home after their former manager’s plea, with applause ringing out when Alexander-Arnold picked up his winners’ medal on stage.
He was then seen crying on the open-top bus parade in the city, with Curtis Jones seemingly intimating that they were crocodile tears to team-mates.
And Arne Slot fired a parting shot at Alexander-Arnold in his final days as a Liverpool player.
‘He’s going to leave anyway so why not, it might be the first gift I can give Xabi Alonso,’ Slot said of the 26-year-old. ‘I wasn’t completely happy with every single minute he was on the training ground.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s mural in Liverpool has been vandalised with the message ‘Adios el Rata’ ahead of his return to the club as a Real Madrid player in the Champions League
‘In my opinion there were certain moments he could do more, to put it mildly. I told him he’s a much better defender than people think, but you don’t show it all the time.’
The sour feeling of Alexander-Arnold’s exit, or at least the manner in which he left his boyhood club having just become champions, clearly lives on.
It will be fascinating to see what the future holds for the Englishman, who has endured an inauspicious and injury-hit start to life in Spain.
Perhaps in time, those wounded by his move to Real will soften their stance, but if Tuesday’s reaction is anything to go by, that healing process could yet take a while.
