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Van Dijk on Anfield Reaction to Alexander-Arnold: “He Has to Deal With It”

Leicester City FC v Liverpool FC - Premier League
Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images

It isn’t fun but you make your choices and if others don’t like it you take your lumps and sometimes there’s really not a lot more to say about it.

Liverpool drew Arsenal 2-2 on Sunday in a game that didn’t really matter and one that rather played out that way at times. In light of that, it’s perhaps not surprising that the only thing anyone wants to focus about in the aftermath isn’t the performances, goals, or what the result means. Since the result doesn’t really mean much of anything.

Instead, the talk all swirls around Anfield’s decision to—not universally, perhaps, but it did sound at least a slim majority involved—boo departing homegrown star Trent Alexander-Arnold after the 26-year-old ran down the short contract he previously agreed in favour of joining recent European rival Real Madrid on a free transfer in the summer.

“Everyone has different opinions or different phases of their career so you can’t compare us,” was captain Virgil van Dijk’s post-match response when asked about his teammate’s decision to leave after he had chosen to stay. “Me and [Mohamed Salah], and in this case Trent are different. I was very happy to eventually come to an agreement.

“Like I said when it was announced, I’m happy and proud to extend because for me there is no other place to be at this point. Everyone shares different opinions and he feels like he has done it all and wants to try something different. So we are all gutted, players as well, as he is a fantastic player and made so many decisive moments over the years.

“But when the final whistle is there we will miss him but we still have two more games, the trophy lift and a parade so there are plenty of moments we can share together and then we will see. I think the manager said it right that you can’t decide how anyone feels about the decision he made for himself. The reaction happened. He has to deal with it.”

At the end of the day, it’s a difficult situation. Others have departed the club over the years, players who have done less than Alexander-Arnold. Yet his homegrown status complicates things, makes fans feel he’s one of their own in a way that perhaps they don’t assume with others, and fuels a sense of greater betrayal when he joins a rival on a free.

Because, to be clear, Real Madrid are a rival for this Liverpool side in Europe. They’re the side that knocked the Reds and Alexander-Arnold out of Europe four times—including two finals. It might not be the betrayal joining Manchester United would be, but for local fans there’s a sense of one of their own telling them their club isn’t the pinnacle.

Yet to boo feels a disservice to and diminishment of his contributions to Liverpool’s history. A hurt-fuelled, wilful burying of silverware and corners taken quickly. Perhaps, then, at the end of the day there really is nothing more to say than he made his decision, the reaction happened, and now he has to deal with it—as do the fans who reacted.



Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com

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