Virgil van Dijk admits he had no plans to meet Trent Alexander-Arnold after the Real Madrid star was booed at Anfield, a decision that delighted Liverpool supporters
Liverpool fans loved Virgil van Dijk’s candid response to a question about the return of former Red player Trent Alexander-Arnold, who was booed by the Anfield crowd.
Alexander-Arnold made his first return to Anfield just months after deciding to leave Merseyside. The right-back, who comes from the youth ranks, has opted to leave for Real Madrid when his contract expires in the summer.
His decision was highly divisive, with many Liverpool fans furious at his departure. The club were unable to recoup the right-back’s transfer fee and the mural was defaced before Tuesday’s match as anger was still evident among some supporters.
Alexander-Arnold started the night on the bench but was bought in the final 10 minutes. Loud boos were heard when he was introduced to the contest, and his every touch was met with jeers, but former teammate Van Dijk had no intention of speaking to him afterwards.
Prime Video pundit Theo Walcott asked, “Did you get a chance to talk to Trent? We talked a lot about the situation he was playing in tonight, are there any plans to meet with him after the game?” The centre-back simply answered “no”.
read more: Thierry Henry tears at Real Madrid star over Liverpool’s failure – ‘I don’t understand it at all’read more: Arn Slott’s two-word message to Trent Alexander-Arnold after hugging former Liverpool star
His response was well received by his own supporters. One fan said, “This whole interview is a movie.” Another hugged the Dutchman, saying: “I love my captain.” Another fan agreed, saying, “That’s my CB man.”
Despite the obvious animosity, Jude Bellingham, who is believed to have pitched Alexander-Arnold on the idea of a move to Real, insisted the heckling did not reflect how Liverpool fans felt about their former player. “Obviously, that’s one of the things in football,” the midfielder told Amazon Prime.
“I think the fans booing doesn’t reflect their feelings towards him. Rather, I think it’s to give the team an edge and push him a little bit. I’m sure they appreciate what he’s done for the club, and that’s one of those things.”
Reds manager Arne Slott met with his former player after the game and indicated there was no ill will between the two. “Right after that, I hugged him. I don’t even remember exactly what I said, but it’s probably not much. But every time I see him, I’m going to hug him or talk to him, because he’s very special to me as a player and as a person.”
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