Steven Gerrard has delivered a blunt message to Trent Alexander-Arnold after the defender’s controversial £10million move from Liverpool to Real Madrid, saying he would never have walked away like that.
The Liverpool legend, who captained his boyhood club through its highs and lows for nearly two decades, told Rio Ferdinand’s podcast that Alexander-Arnold has taken a “massive risk” by swapping Anfield for the Bernabéu.
“I wouldn’t have done it,” Gerrard said. “He’s an extremely talented footballer, one of the best passers I’ve ever seen. He’s up there with Beckham and Scholes, no doubt. But to leave Liverpool when he was in his prime and being offered a new deal, that’s a big risk. He’s living that risk now. I love the kid to bits and I hope it works out for him, but it’s a risk all the same.”
Alexander-Arnold’s decision to turn down a contract extension last season and head to Spain left many Liverpool fans furious. The right-back had grown up at the club, won every major honour, and was seen as a future captain. His move to join close friend Jude Bellingham in Madrid shocked the fanbase and reopened old wounds about loyalty.
Gerrard admitted he understood the temptation when Real Madrid come calling, recalling that he himself was once approached by the Spanish giants while José Mourinho was in charge.
“When Madrid or Barcelona come in, your head’s going to turn. If it doesn’t, you’re not human,” Gerrard said. “It happened to me with Real. Mourinho wanted me, and it turned my head. But it didn’t go far because of timing and what they wanted me to do to make it happen. So I get it, I understand what Trent’s feeling.”
Yet Gerrard couldn’t hide his frustration at seeing another local hero walk away from Anfield.
“As soon as I put my Liverpool hat back on, I’m thinking, what are you doing?” he said. “You’re one of the main men at one of the best teams in Europe. You’re winning European Cups, you’re adored by the fans. What more could you want?”
The former skipper added that staying could have cemented Alexander-Arnold’s place among Liverpool’s all-time greats.
“He could have been a legend forever,” Gerrard said. “The criticism he’s getting now, I understand it. Because when you play for Liverpool and you give everything, the fans give it back tenfold.”
When Ferdinand asked Gerrard if he thought he deserved a statue for his loyalty, the 44-year-old laughed it off. “I don’t need a statue to feel the love,” he said. “Liverpool have given me more care, love and respect since I stopped playing than I could ever have imagined. That’s enough for me.”