Sloth praises Alexander-Arnold’s farewell: “He deserved to go out like that.”
Liverpool manager celebrates full-back’s final performance despite discontent from some fans
Trent Alexander-Arnold played his last game in front of the Anfield fans last Sunday after a 20-year career at Liverpool , a club he has played for since he was just 6 years old and took the entrance test for the youth categories.
The English full-back has had the fans of his lifelong club against him since he announced his intention not to renew his contract at the end of the season and was free to negotiate a move to another club (Real Madrid, in this case). “I turned off the television when I saw the boos for Alexander-Arnold,” admitted Jürgen Klopp , the former Reds manager, after the match against Tottenham that sealed the 2024/25 Premier League title for a team that was crowned champion weeks ago.
However, Alexander-Arnold wasn’t all booed. A section of the Liverpool fans acknowledged his great performance and sought to settle the controversy surrounding his unexpected exit. ” I think the word ‘brilliant’ and our fans go hand in hand . They were brilliant before the game against Tottenham, during it, and afterward. I don’t think you’ll see many celebrations as special as the one four weeks ago or today,” Arne Slot acknowledged in the post-match press conference.
I think everyone could see how bad it was after the game and that shows how difficult it is to leave a club like this.Arne Slot, Liverpool manager
The Dutch coach assessed the youth player’s farewell from a footballing perspective, praising the full-back’s performance: “The passes he made were… if you summarise his highlights it will probably take you three, four or five minutes. The ball to Darwin [Núñez] was on another level. He deserved to finish like that and I’m very happy for him . I think everyone could see how bad it was for him after the match and that shows how difficult it is to leave a club like this .”
