Trent Alexander-Arnold reveals chat with Liverpool owners after leaving for Real Madrid
Trent Alexander-Arnold has revealed that Liverpool 's owners have told him they would welcome him back to the club as a player.
Despite the boos which he received during his penultimate game at Anfield just four weeks ago, the 26-year-old, who was introduced as a Real Madrid player yesterday, said he feels accepted by his boyhood club's fans who were 'outstanding' towards him.
In comments which suggest he has not ruled out playing for Liverpool again, Alexander-Arnold thanked Liverpool's owners for the departure they gave him – despite taking only a £10million transfer fee from Real because he was virtually out of contract.
He said: 'I had an amazing conversation with the owners in the last couple of days. They thanked me for everything I gave, wished me well on my future journey and said they would have me back at the club at any point. To have those words was amazing.'
Alexander-Arnold surprised Real president and other grandees by speaking perfect Spanish for sixty seconds, later revealing that he had been learning Spanish 'for a few months.' He said he would only have left Liverpool for Real Madrid.
'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,' he said.
Alexander-Arnold 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 mother Dianne, sitting alongside his father Michael and brothers Tyler – his agent – and Marcell, could be seen wiping away tears as the video concluded.
Perhaps with Liverpool sensitivities in mind, Alexander-Arnold insisted that playing for Real had not been a dream of his. '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 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.'
That begins with the Club World Cup. He and his teammates fly to the US at the weekend. They will be based at the Four Seasons Miami, in Palm Beach, Florida, ahead of their opening game against Saudi side Al Hilal next Wednesday.
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Daily Mail
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Why Shilpa Shetty's career crashed after Big Brother: 18 years on from the Jade Goody racism row, star has 'lost her house in a Bitcoin scam', stood by her husband who was jailed for porn... and now her own mother is on trial
Scroll through Shilpa Shetty's Instagram feed and you'd be forgiven for thinking she's your run-of-the-mill B-list Bollywood actress who - bolstered by social media - has found new success in an influencer niche. The actress - who recently celebrated her 50th birthday at a bash that made headlines for all the wrong reasons - posts a mix of glam shots, sweat-free workout snaps, outtakes from her international holidays, and her 'Sunday Binge' Reels that might trigger those with slower Basal Metabolic Rates. However, the glossy veneer of her public persona conceals a more turbulent personal life - including the ups and downs in her marriage to British-born millionaire Raj Kundra, who was arrested and jailed for 63 days in 2021 on charges of making and distributing porn. Just this week, the Dhadkan actress found herself facing harsh criticism for being an 'entitled' Bollywood star after video footage from her birthday party at a glitzy restaurant in Hvar Islands, Croatia, was posted online. In the now-viral clip, Shilpa can be heard screaming 'Don't talk to us, we don't want to talk to you' at a fellow guest, who reportedly complained her group was being too loud and 'politely requested them to speak softly'. It's a far cry from her restrained and dignified stance in the face of vile racist abuse at the hands of Jade Goody, Danielle Lloyd, and Jo O'Meara that made Shilpa a fan-favourite during her time on Celebrity Big Brother - and ultimately saw her walk away as the series winner after the finale was aired in February 2007. Controversy followed Shilpa back home to Mumbai as she found herself accused of 'obscenity' when Pretty Woman star Richard Gere kissed her on the cheek repeatedly at an AIDS awareness event the following month. Photos from the event in New Delhi show how the American actor took the star's hand and kissed it, before embracing her and kissing her multiple times on the cheek. He later said the spontaneous act had been designed to show that kissing was not dangerous and could not spread the virus. But the incident sparked protests among India's religious conservatives, who branded it an outrage and took to the streets in protest. Some of the protests morphed into riots, with effigies of both actors burned in the streets with criminal charges filed against the pair, whose actions were branded an affront to traditional Indian values. While the charges against Mr Gere were quickly dropped, after he apologised, those against Ms Shetty languished in the Indian criminal justice system for nearly 14 years until she was cleared of 'obscenity' for not resisting the kiss in 2022. The widespread public protests weren't the only personal setback Shilpa suffered the same year she won Celebrity Big Brother. In 2007, Shilpa's parents were awaiting trial on extortion charges after it was claimed they hired a mafia don to intimidate a Surat-based businessman into clearing her dues for a commercial she starred in. 'Are you nuts?' she retorted during an interview with the Evening Standard, when asked about the allegations against Sunanda and Surendra - who died in 2016 - Shetty. Referring to the owner of the sari company, she said: 'Yes, that crook owes me around £80,000 and we sent him two legal demands to pay up. 'And yes, there will be a court case [against my parents]. But the allegations are all lies. Extortion! It's not our style.' The Surat-based businessman went to the police after he began receiving threatening calls in 2003, when the Shettys were placed under surveillance and the authorities secretly taped their phone calls. 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After he returned to India, Anubhav is said to have walked out of his marriage of 12 years. The headline of Ratnaa's exclusive interview with DNA read: 'Ratna Sinha erupts against her director husband Anubhav and his 'good friend' Shilpa Shetty. Without explicitly naming Shilpa, she said: 'Anubhav and I had the perfect marriage, until a year and a half ago. 'We had no problems whatsoever, but he suddenly left one day. 'I do not want to comment on their affair, but I am told they are good friends. They are both old and wise enough to make their own decisions. Anubhav knows the repercussions he will face for the choices he is making.' At the time, she said the marriage break-up and the intense media interest in the story had a terrible effect on their young son, Shlok. 'He wakes up at 3am and cries out. He cannot go to school because people ask him where his father is.' Shilpa denied any claims she and Anubhav had an affair, while maintaining they were 'just close friends' in an interview with the Evening Standard. 'It's all been extremely embarrassing. I'm keeping my silence because he's going through a bad marriage. People think my life is so glamorous. 'I am reported to be going out with different men, but the truth is I've had two dates in eight months. I'm always working. It's pretty boring being Shilpa Shetty!' This wouldn't be the last time Shilpa would find herself accused of being a homewrecker as the now-ex-wife of Raj Kundra - Shilpa's husband - said the Dhadkan actress was 'living my life' and blamed her for breaking up her marriage. But when she learned Raj was married, Shilpa admitted she left the meeting 'disheartened'. 'Four months later, Raj [offered to let me stay at his] batch pad, since I was traveling to London frequently,' Shilpa told Indian media outlet Pinkvilla. 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While both Raj and Shilpa denied Kavitaa's claims, the former revealed details of Kavitaa's alleged infidelity in 2021 - after he was released from Mumbai's infamous Arthur Road jail while awaiting trial in the pornography case. He claimed Kavitaa began a secret relationship with her sister's now-ex-husband, while accusing her of separating him from their then-40-day-old daughter, in an interview with Pinkvilla. 'Many of my family and even my driver would say, "We sense something fishy between these two," and I would never believe it. I gave my ex wife the benefit of doubt,' he said. When his sister and her ex moved back to India from the UK, Raj discovered Kavitaa was using a secret phone to communicate with his former brother-in-law while his sister was pregnant. 'I recall how heartbroken I was and how I cried and cried thinking about what I had done to deserve this,' he said, before branding the relationship a 'marriage from hell'. 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5 minutes ago
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BREAKING NEWS Erika Jayne finally breaks silence on ex Tom Girardi's jail sentence for swindling clients out of $15million
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'I was very disappointed because those people [in the audience] were there for me, and I felt like five percent of myself was feeling sorry for myself. I was 95 percent there, and five percent of myself was feeling sorry for myself. Giradi, 86, faces dying behind bars with his sentence of seven years and three months in federal prison after being found guilty of swindling his horribly injured or grieving clients out of around $15 million in settlement fees - pictured August 2024 'This was the day that he got sentenced, my second show. My first show was flawless. And my second show was great, don't get me wrong. But there was that five percent I could have given the audience, and instead I was feeling sorry for myself. The reality star said she struggled to 'fight back thoughts and emotions' during her performance. Erika was herself accused alongside Girardi of embezzling money to fund their lavish lifestyles - but faced no charges. As well as his jail time, Girardi has been ordered to pay $2,310,247 in restitution to his victims and a $35,000 fine. Judge Josephine L. Staton, who handed down the sentencing, ordered Girardi to surrender to federal authorities by July 17. The sentencing occurred in a courthouse in downtown Los Angeles on June 3, which also happens to be Girardi's 86th birthday. A jury found the once-powerful attorney guilty on four counts of wire fraud in August. Girardi, who built the prestigious LA law firm Girardi & Keese after his fight against a California utility giant inspired the Oscar-winning movie Erin Brockovich, plead not guilty to the four counts (he had been indicted on five counts of wire fraud in 2023). His high-rolling career came tumbling down in 2020 when he was accused of stealing millions in settlements he'd won for the victims of the 2018 Lion Air plane crash in Indonesia, a tragedy in which 189 people died. 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Attorney Sam Cross, who is among Girardi's lawyers, said the defendant would probably end up spending the rest of his life in prison in light of his health troubles, according to the LA Times. 'Should Tom Girardi die in prison?' he asked the judge multiple times in remarks. Cross also asked the judge on Monday to keep Girardi in his current assisted living facility instead sending him to federal prison, arguing he would not receive the proper care he needs in prison. 'We believe he is in need of specialized treatment,' Cross explained to the judge, according to Deadline. He described Girardi as 'frail, elderly' and argued he would be at risk of being 'exploited or taken advantage of' in prison. But the judge ultimately disagreed, citing testimony from a BOP forensic psychologist, a BOP neuropsychologist, and the self-awareness Girardi was apparently exhibiting. She concluded they can safely sentence Girardi to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility. 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Leader Live
7 minutes ago
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