Trent Alexander-Arnold has opened up on his new life as a Real Madrid player as Los Blancos prepare to get their Club World Cup campaign underway.
Alexander-Arnold, 26, was unveiled at Real last Thursday after joining the club upon the expiry of his Liverpool contract, although the Spanish giants paid £10million to secure his services a month early.
The right back’s future was a major talking point throughout the 2024-25 campaign, before he announced his decision to depart Anfield at the start of last month in a move that attracted significant anger from the Reds’ fanbase.
Alexander-Arnold has been training with Real at their base in Florida since last week ahead of their Club World Cup opener against Saudi giants Al-Hilal on Wednesday evening.
And on Monday, the 26-year-old spoke for the first time about how he is adapting to life as a Galactico and rubbing shoulders with the likes of Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jnr.
‘Hot to start with but a good session with some good things,’ he told the club’s website.
Former Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold has opened up on his new life at Real Madrid
Alexander-Arnold was presented as a Los Blancos player at the Bernabeu last Thursday
He has been training with his new team-mates in the US ahead of the Club World Cup
‘[It was] good to get a feel of the ball and a feel of the heat training in this climate so it was a good session.
‘[It was] high quality. The ball moves very fast. Obviously it’s a lot different to what I’m used to in terms of the players and the style of play but it’s good and I’m enjoying the change and I’m enjoying being a part of it. It feels really good and I’m happy to be here to be honest.’
Prior to his unveiling as a Real player at the Bernabeu last week, Alexander-Arnold embarked on a tour of the club’s facilities, where he was even shown some of the club’s recent Champions League trophies.
During his presentation, the defender then left onlookers impressed as he spoke in Spanish and on Monday he admitted he appreciated the effort his new team-mates are making in terms of communicating on the pitch.
‘I can’t say enough about the lads and how they made me feel welcome and at home,’ he added.
‘They’ve all put in a lot of effort, spoken to me, made me feel comfortable and made sure any questions I had – especially with the translations and things – they’ve helped me a lot with everything.
‘I can’t thank them enough and now we’re excited for the game to start.’
Alexander-Arnold, who will be simply known as ‘Trent’ with the Spanish giants, has taken the No 12 shirt after signing a six-year deal.
But Alexander-Arnold also admitted training with Real was a ‘lot different’ to what he is used to
Alexander-Arnold is now playing alongside the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham
After their opening clash against Al-Hilal, Real also face group games against Mexican side Pachuca and RB Salzburg.
Meanwhile, speaking at his unveiling last week, Alexander-Arnold had said: ‘Thank you Florentino Perez and the club for this opportunity. This doesn’t happen every day.
‘It’s a dream come true. I’m very happy and proud to be here. I want to show Real Madrid fans how I play.
‘I do realise I’m signing for Real Madrid and the demands are high but I am going to give my all for the team and Real Madrid fans.
‘I want to show those fans how I play. I want to win many titles. I want to be a winner here and enjoy playing alongside the best players in the world at Madrid.’
