Former Liverpool hero John Arne Riise believes that Trent Alexander-Arnold would have “expected” to be booed by the “emotional” Anfield crowd following his decision to leave the new Premier League champions.
Alexander-Arnold, who has been at the club since the age of six and played a key role in their successes over the last decade, announced that he would be leaving when his contract expires this summer.
The news came following months of uncertainty over whether he would sign a new deal, and means he will depart the club on a free transfer in the coming weeks.
With a section of the club’s fan base unhappy with the news, their displeasure manifested itself in The Reds’ next league game against Arsenal, when, after being introduced as a substitute, the 26-year-old was greeted with jeers from sections of the home support.
Liverpool travel to Brighton for their penultimate league match, and it remains to be seen if the antipathy towards the player will continue.
“It’s divided the fans, rightly so, but I don’t feel it’s right to boo him,” Riise, who played for the club between 2001 and 2008, exclusively told TNT Sports.
“I think it’s the wrong thing to do because he’s done so much, and I wish him all the best and I think he’s going to be awesome wherever he goes.
“I think he expected it to be like this because you’ve seen the last few months there’s been criticism around him, his contract, nobody talking, nobody saying anything about his situation, he’d been quiet, so I think he expected a certain reaction from the fans and he will deal with it, no problem.”
Riise added: “It’s a hard one because with Liverpool football club, there are a lot of emotions with the fans.
“I’m not going to tell people how to react because it’s up to them and rightly so, but I do feel we cannot forget what Trent has done for the club, and what a player he’s become, his performances.”
Alexander-Arnold, nominally a full-back, earned his hero status at Liverpool through his dynamic displays, in which he also contributed to the attack, putting up impressive and record-setting numbers of goals and assists.
The England international, who made his club debut in 2016, has helped his boyhood club with two league titles, a UEFA Champions League crown, as well as the FA Cup, two League Cups and a FIFA Club World Cup.
Although unconfirmed as yet, he is expected to join Real Madrid this summer.
“For some players in their career, it gets to a point where you need something new to be able to push yourself to be able to perform at the best level,” said Riise.
“I feel that at the moment Trent has come to the point where he needs something new to be able to put the work in and put the effort in to be able to take the next step. And as an ex-player I respect that and I get that.”
‘Maybe he’s a little disappointed’
Riise admits he understands the frustrations behind the fan reactions during the Arsenal game due to Alexander-Arnold’s affinity for the club, the timing of the announcement, and the fact that Liverpool, as newly crowned champions, are performing well.
The Norwegian confesses he wished the player would have remained in red as it would have enhanced his legacy, but accepts for the sake of his career, a move could prove beneficial.
“The only thing I will say is that I think things could have been done differently, from Trent or his team or the club, I don’t know,” he said.
“What’s good is that he waited until the season was done, and we’d won the league before he announced it.
“I respect his decision and see where he’s coming from but I wish he would stay. It’s hard to leave a club who is winning the league, but at the same time, he must really need a new challenge because who leaves a club where they’re at, at the moment?
“Maybe he’s a little disappointed being booed by his own fans, but this is part of football. His career at Liverpool will never be forgotten, what he’s done, all the goals he scored, his assists, but he could have been a much bigger hero if he stayed at the club.
“Because he just announced it and it was the first game, I think emotion got to people. I’m sure people respect everything he’s done for the club.
“Yes, they can be sad, they can be disappointed he’s leaving because he’s a local hero and the club is in a good state but as a player with a short career, he needs something new and that’s what people should respect.”