Abuse from Liverpool fans hurts - Alexander-Arnold

Alexander-Arnold left Liverpool for Real Madrid last summer [Getty Images] Trent Alexander‑Arnold says he still hopes for "a degree of understanding" from Liverpool fans after revealing he continues to receive abuse 14 months on from leaving Anfield for Real Madrid. After a disrupted first season in Spain and missing out on England's World Cup squad, the 27‑year‑old told the Mirror that the reaction to his departure from the club he supports "hurts". He says he watches every Liverpool game and made it clear his boyhood club will always have a "place in my heart". "The booing and disappointment from Liverpool supporters is something I'm absolutely able to shoulder. I can understand it, in my own way," he said. "But I hope one day there'll be a degree of understanding about the decisions I wanted to make around my own life. "It hurts because of how much I've put into the club over the course of 20 years and the sacrifices I made for the club during that period." New season, new boss - will Alexander-Arnold be key figure at Real Madrid? Despite being booed on his return to Anfield during Real's 1‑0 Champions League defeat in November, Alexander‑Arnold says he can "dissociate" the abuse that night and online from the interactions he has with fans when he comes back to Merseyside to visit family. "Not a single interaction I've had in person reflects the sort of stuff you get online or via social media," he said. Alexander Arnold, who featured in 35 of Real Madrid's 62 matches across all competitions last season, said online abuse is a "sad part of life" in 2026 and that some messages have "crossed the line". "I choose to keep those things away from me because they don't feel real," said Trent. "I can rationalise that by knowing it's not representative of a football club I love, LFC, and it's not representative of my home city. "This isn't me saying everyone in Liverpool is fine with me leaving the club - of course they aren't. But that's very different from the stuff that goes beyond the football." 'Angry' about missing out on World Cup Alexander-Arnold has scored four goals for England [Getty Images] Alexander-Arnold said he went into the summer without making any plans, hopeful Thomas Tuchel would take him to the World Cup. However, when the phone rang at his home in Madrid, it was not the news he had wished for. "I'll be honest, I was full of hope," he said "When I put the phone down, I was properly gutted. "I hope the coaching staff would expect and understand that I was angry." The last of Alexander-Arnold's 34 caps came as a substitute during a 1-0 win over Andorra in June 2025. "He [Tuchel] wants players who are desperate to play for England. I am one of those," he insisted. Alexander-Arnold watched England throughout the World Cup and said his determination to return to the international stage has not been diminished. "Until I retire, I'm still an England player, whether I'm selected or not," he said. "I'm always available if and when the manager needs me. There's no bigger honour." And he said he will turn his feeling of disappointment into a "positive" for the new season. "I want to use it as fuel to get back into England squads and then back in an England shirt. That's an aim of mine and I hope to achieve it," he said. Latest Liverpool news, analysis and fan views Ask about Liverpool - what do you want to know?