Trent Alexander-Arnold faced a hostile reception from Liverpool fans at Anfield on Sunday as he made his first appearance since announcing his departure from the club this summer.
The England defender was greeted with boos when his name was read out before Liverpool's clash against Arsenal and there were boos again when he came on for Conor Bradley in the second-half.
Alexander-Arnold, who has won two league titles and a Champions League trophy with Liverpool, looked devastated by the reaction and put his face in his shirt.
The full-back's decision to leave has angered some supporters, with Real Madrid reportedly interested in securing his services when his contract expires on June 30.
Arne Slot defended Trent Alexander-Arnold after he was booed by Liverpool fans
Sky Sports/Reuters
The Spanish giants have reportedly approached Liverpool about releasing Alexander-Arnold before his contract expires, as the Club World Cup begins 16 days prior to the June 30 termination date.
It is understood Real Madrid are considering an offer of about £850,000 for his early release.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot had decided to start Conor Bradley ahead of Alexander-Arnold for the Arsenal match.
Slot explained before kick-off: "The fact that he is leaving, that is one of the reasons to play Conor, but not a reaction [to Alexander-Arnold's decision]."
The match ended in a 2-2 draw after Liverpool surrendered a two-goal lead.
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Following the match, Slot addressed the hostile reception Alexander-Arnold received from sections of the Anfield crowd.
"In general in life, living in Europe one of the good things is everybody can gave their opinion. It's the same in Liverpool," said Slot.
"A lot of people were happy with him. A lot were unhappy.
"Towards the end more and more got more positive."
Trent Alexander-Arnold was devastated by the boos from Liverpool fans
Reuters
The Liverpool manager emphasised his practical approach to the situation.
"To me it's simple. I owe it to the fans to put out a team that can win a game of football and Trent showed why I put him in because he has 2-3 incredible balls that could've won us the game. But fans can have their opinion."
When asked if he was surprised by the noise surrounding Alexander-Arnold, Slot offered a balanced perspective.
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Trent Alexander-Arnold received "a few boos" when he was subbed on for Conor Bradley 😳 pic.twitter.com/aQfWodxoV4
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"I don't know. First of all they sang for Steven Gerrard and for Conor Bradley which is a nice thing to do," he said.
The Dutchman noted how the atmosphere shifted during the match.
"I think it was just before Trent took the free kick I heard more people hoping he'd score than were booing him.
"It would not be fair to all the Liverpool fans to focus on the fans who booed."
