Keane criticized supporters for showing such hostility after the defender was booed after returning to the club he spent 20 years with. Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Keane said: “The reputation of Liverpool fans is that they are loyal and a step above most supporters.
“But no matter which players come back, no matter if they boo, people will still pay to move and I think that’s fine. I’m not going to argue with the supporters.”
He added: “It’s clear that Liverpool fans, like every other supporter, think: ‘We’re the biggest club in the world’. I’m not saying we should praise you for leaving, but why would you go to a game and boo a player who has played 260 or 270 games? It’s been a great run. We don’t have to wish him luck at Madrid.”
“But for some reason local lads and Liverpool fans think they have class, so why go out of their way to think, ‘Let’s boo this kid?’ Liverpool fans don’t need to look at themselves.
“The great thing about Trent over the last year or two is that he has hardly said anything, never said, ‘Oh, I want to stay here.’ In fact, he has kept his mouth shut, and sometimes that’s not a bad thing. How many times have you seen players leave saying, ‘Oh, I love this club.’ He remained calm. ”
After this encounter, Slott praised Alexander-Arnold’s contribution during their partnership last season, during which the full-back scored four times and provided 10 assists, helping Liverpool win the Premier League title in Slott’s debut season.
“It’s tough because he (Alexander-Arnold) lost. I said something like ‘Good luck’ to him. To be honest, I didn’t know exactly what I said to him,” the Dutch coach said.
“He was special to this club, he was special to me, and he’s a special person. So for me, I’m going to give him a hug every time I see him.”
