Xabi Alonso has informed Trent Alexander-Arnold to take pleasure in his “good” return to Liverpool because the Actual Madrid defender prepares to face his boyhood membership for the primary time since his acrimonious summer time departure.
Alexander-Arnold is prone to obtain a hostile reception at Anfield after he angered Liverpool followers by leaving on the finish of his contract final season. The England worldwide would have exited on a free switch however for Actual paying an £8.5m price to cancel his Liverpool contract early and embrace him of their squad for the Membership World Cup.
The 27-year-old was a part of a Actual delegation that laid floral tributes to Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva exterior Anfield on Monday night time. The top coach and former Liverpool midfielder Alonso, the defender Dean Huijsen and Actual's director of institutional relations, Emilio Butragueño, have been additionally current. Alexander-Arnold laid his personal floral tribute, with a message that learn: “My mate Diogo, you might be so missed however nonetheless so cherished. Yours and André's recollections will at all times dwell on. I smile each time I take into consideration you and can at all times bear in mind the good instances we shared. Miss you mate every single day. Love Trent and household.”
Alonso is assured a heat reception from the Anfield crowd having graced Liverpool's midfield between 2004 and 2009. He believes Alexander-Arnold ought to relish dealing with his boyhood group, if chosen. “We haven't spoken about that exactly [the reception that awaits Alexander-Arnold] however we have now spoken concerning the group and the membership,” the Actual head coach mentioned.
“He has to have his personal emotions and revel in it his personal approach. So I'm not going to say how he must really feel it. For certain his historical past is totally different from mine, he was born and bred in Liverpool. I bear in mind him from a younger age within the academy after which coming to the primary group and profitable the Champions League. So he must benefit from the second as a result of it's good to be again and for him it's going to be good.”
The previous Liverpool defender's transfer to Actual has not gone to plan on the pitch having sustained a hamstring harm on his Champions League debut for the membership towards Marseille on 16 September. He has not performed since and has been an unused substitute in Actual's final two video games.
However Alonso mentioned: “He's good. He didn't play [against Valencia on Saturday] due to the context of the sport however he's out there for any variety of minutes. Tomorrow he could play and after the harm he had we'd like his qualities; he has nice qualities. He's in a brand new stage for him – sporting, bodily and mentally. We have to give him what he wants as a result of he's an distinctive participant that we have now in our squad.”
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The Liverpool head coach, Arne Slot, promised Alexander-Arnold a heat reception, however was not sure how the right-back can be acquired by the house crowd. Slot mentioned: “I can solely let you know what sort of reception he will get from me; I've nice recollections of the participant and the human being.
“He was my vice-captain final season and I've recollections of working with him which have been solely optimistic and have recollections from watching him on tv which have been solely optimistic as effectively – I can bear in mind a number of nice moments of his in a Liverpool shirt. He'll get a heat welcome from me. Let's first wait and see if he's on the pitch tomorrow. How the followers react I've no clue however he will get a heat welcome from me, that's for certain.”
