Trent Alexander-Arnold described his emotional day at Anfield as the best of his life after helping Liverpool end the season as Premier League champions.
The right-back came on at half-time in the 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace and played a key role in the fightback, as Mohamed Salah scored late to cancel out Crystal Palace’s early lead. Liverpool were down to 10 men after Ryan Gravenberch was sent off, but still found a way through.
Alexander-Arnold, who has been strongly linked with a move to Real Madrid, wasn’t sure how the fans would react after he was booed by some supporters when he came on against Arsenal two weeks ago. Even former boss Jürgen Klopp had called out the fans over the treatment he received.
But this time, Anfield welcomed him with loud cheers as he replaced Conor Bradley. The ovation continued when he went up to receive his winner’s medal and later lifted the Premier League trophy in front of the Kop.
“I didn’t know what to expect at Anfield after what happened a few weeks ago,” he said. “To get the reception I got means more than anything to me.
“I hope that one day the fans of this club will be able to recognise the hard work and everything I’ve done for this team. There wasn’t a second where I didn’t think about this team. I’ve loved every single minute of it. It goes down as the best day of my life.”
New manager Arne Slot also enjoyed a warm reception from the fans after guiding Liverpool to the title in his first season. He hinted at plans to strengthen the team this summer, with reports linking the Reds to German star Florian Wirtz.
“We are very happy with the squad we have,” said Slot. “This club has always shown that if there is a chance to improve, we go for it.
“Big summer or not, it is already big because we won the league. But we always want to get better. Next season the competition will be even stronger, so we must improve as well.”
