A tribute to former Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold appears to have been vandalized hours before his return to Anfield with Real Madrid in the Champions League
A mural of former Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has been defaced hours before his return to Anfield against Real Madrid. The England international left for La Liga after his contract expired, leaving the Premier League champions in the dark.
The two-time Premier League and Champions League winner faces a hostile reception as he reunites with Arne Slott and former team-mates. And just hours before the decisive battle on Merseyside, images of the graffiti on the mural were released.
White paint was splattered across the painting with various references to “rats” and a message in Spanish that roughly translates to “Adios the Rats.”
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This is the second time in less than six months that memorial items have been vandalized, after a message was written shortly before departure saying a “rat” had been left behind.
The mural was created in 2019, arranged by Liverpool fan podcast The Anfield Wrap, to commemorate the Champions League winning season and as a way to inspire the younger generation. Workers were sent to clean the mural on Tuesday morning.
The painting, located on Sibid Road in the shadow of the 61,000-capacity stadium, features Alexander-Arnold and his number 66 shirt with the words he wrote the night after his victory at the Wanda Metropolitano: “I am an ordinary lad from Liverpool and a dream has just come true.”
Slott was drawn on what kind of reaction he expects the full-back to receive at Anfield on Tuesday. Liverpool’s head coach admitted he was unsure about the crowd’s reaction, but said he expected a “warm welcome” from the Dutchman.
“I can only tell you what kind of reception he received from me. I have great memories of the player and the person,” he said.
“Last season he was my vice-captain. My memories of working with him and watching him on TV were only positive. I remember many great moments of him in a Liverpool shirt.”
“He will receive a warm welcome from me, but first we will see if he will be on the pitch tomorrow.
“I have no idea how the fans will react, but I’m sure he’s been warmly received by me.”
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