Real was the only team I'd leave Liverpool for: Alexander-Arnold
PAMedia/dpa
London
Trent Alexander-Arnold admitted Real Madrid was the only team he would have left boyhood club Liverpool for and was comfortable he made the right decision.
The 26-year-old, who has signed a six-year deal after Real paid £8.5 million ($11.5 million) to release him from a contract expiring this month, rejected suggestions he had been heavily influenced by close friend and England team-mate Jude Bellingham.
He also denied he had been orchestrating the move for a long time but impressing president Florentino Perez and assembled club dignitaries by surprisingly addressing them in Spanish did nothing to calm the anger a significant section of the fanbase have felt about the way he handled his exit after 20 years at Liverpool.
'To be honest, it was never a question of where, it was whether to go or not to go but I always knew, I've probably known it for a long time, if I was ever to leave Liverpool, it would only be to go Real Madrid, that would be the only club for me,' said Alexander-Arnold, who told a press conference he had been learning Spanish 'for a few months'.
'Then it gets to a point where you have to make a decision whether to go or stay and making that decision was not an easy decision because I'd been there so long, but eventually you have to make a decision and in my mind, I've made the right one.' On Bellingham's supposed influence, he added: 'It wasn't exactly what people think it was but we spoke a lot about Liverpool and Real Madrid, that's the conversations you have as players and friends.
'A lot of people think he played a huge part in me coming here but the club speaks for itself. It was a huge opportunity for me - it felt like it was the right time.' Alexander-Arnold had to quickly correct himself after initially saying he had been 'waiting a long time' for this day, explaining: 'By waiting a long time, I mean by a couple of weeks, not years.
'If I'm honest it's not something you dream of as it's out of reach and out of reality for a lot of players, there are only a handful of players who have been able to represent this club,' he said.
'When I was younger I wasn't exactly thinking I would be here today, I was just thinking about learning about how I could be the best footballer I could be.
'It's a dream to be here but there is still a lot of hard work to do.
I'm excited to get started right away.' Alexander-Arnold, wearing a black suit and tie, sat next to girlfriend Estelle Behnke as a video montage was played of his best moments at Liverpool, inevitably featuring his two assists in the 4-0 Champions League semi-final comeback against Real's arch-rivals Barcelona.
His mum Dianne sat alongside his dad Michael and brothers Tyler - his agent - and Marcell and could be seen wiping away tears as the video concluded.
Real president Florentino Perez described Alexander-Arnold as 'a player who has won everything, one of the best defenders and full-backs in world football. One on the greatest players worldwide is joining this club and hopefully we can write a new page in the history books'.
That starts in the United States later this month at the Club World Cup, which is the reason Real paid Liverpool to release the right-back from his contract early.
'I grew up watching this club win three Champions League in row so I'm no stranger to seeing Real Madrid winning trophies,' said the former Liverpool academy graduate, who will wear 'Trent' on the back of his number 12 shirt to avoid the confusion European fans have had with his double-barrelled surname.
'A big part of why I joined was to be a big part of the success going forward.
'I'm joining a young team with a lot of potential with the mindset to win trophies. We go to America for the Club World Cup and our ambition is to win that trophy too. I'm looking for a great start.'
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