Manchester United legend Paul Scholes can understand why some Liverpool fans booed Trent Alexander-Arnold during Sunday’s Premier League draw with Arsenal.
Alexander-Arnold announced earlier this month that he would be leaving the club this summer when his contract expires with the full-back expected to join Real Madrid.
The clash with the Gunners was Liverpool’s first game at Anfield since the announcement and a large number of supporters made their feelings known.
The Englishman had started the match on the bench but was met with a chorus of boos as he came on in the second half.
Reflecting on what was a low moment in an otherwise brilliant Premier League campaign for Arne Slot’s team, Scholes wrote in his column for TNT Sports: ‘I didn’t expect the booing towards Trent Alexander-Arnold, but I think it’s difficult to understand what they’re [the fans] going through when you’re not a Liverpool fan or live around the city.
‘I understood the reaction a bit because they think that Liverpool is the best in the world – just as I think Manchester United is the best. I understand it from that point of view.
Paul Scholes says he understands why Liverpool supporters booed Trent Alexander-Arnold
The English full-back was met with a chorus of boos as he came on against Arsenal
‘As a fan, of course, you’re going to be upset with him leaving. I try to compare it to when Cristiano Ronaldo or David Beckham left Old Trafford to join Real Madrid. I know it’s not a like-for-like comparison because David [was not a local lad but] joined United as a young player, and you felt that his time under Sir Alex Ferguson had come to an end and the time was right for him to leave.
‘With Cristiano, it was always his dream to play for Madrid, even before he joined us, and we managed to keep him for an extra year. I know it’s not a local lad leaving, but I’d wonder if it were myself, Gary [Neville], Phil [Neville], Ryan [Giggs], Nicky [Butt] who were in a similar situation, would there have been much uproar about it? I don’t know.
‘But I think Trent deserves a bit of credit for the way he has handled everything. Maybe the only mistake he made was to announce his decision before the end of the season. You see so many players nowadays who kick up a fuss to get out of a football club, and he hasn’t done that.
‘Some players refuse to play or go and see the manager to demand a transfer, but with Trent, he’s actually come to the end of his contract and simply wants something new.
‘Of course, that won’t sit well with Liverpool fans, but it’s his life, and he wants to go and play in Spain with his mate Jude Bellingham. But I can understand why Liverpool fans aren’t gracious with that, because they’ll see Liverpool as just as big as Real Madrid.’
