Alexander-Arnold Shocks Fans with Bold First Message to Real Madrid

Trent Alexander-Arnold broke the stereotype of British players joining Real Madrid by delivering an impressively fluent Spanish speech during his official presentation.

Following months of transfer speculation—which ultimately wasn't a free transfer—the ex-Liverpool defender was officially presented with his new Madrid jersey number (and name) in the Spanish capital on Thursday afternoon.

Unlike many British players before him, Alexander-Arnold chose not to rely on his mother tongue when first addressing the audience.

"Thank you all for this opportunity," the Liverpool-born star said in impressive Spanish to the packed venue. "Joining Madrid is not an everyday occurrence. It's a dream that has become reality. I'm looking forward to demonstrating my abilities to Real Madrid supporters; I understand the weight of responsibility that comes with playing for this club. I will give everything to showcase my talents and win numerous trophies. Thank you very much, and hala Madrid!"

Madrid fans were already excited about having someone other than Lucas Vazquez patrolling the right side, but Alexander-Arnold's language skills made his arrival even more enthusiastically received.

The reaction from Liverpool supporters was considerably different. For fans still upset about losing a homegrown talent for the modest sum of £8.4 million ($11.4 million), the predominant response was one of skepticism.

When Darwin Núñez transferred to Liverpool in 2023, Alexander-Arnold had acknowledged language difficulties as a challenge he hadn't yet mastered. "I know a little bit of Spanish from school, so I am able to speak a little bit and he is learning English which is good," the England international explained at the time.

"We probably sort of speak part of a sentence in English and then maybe a word he doesn't know he'll say in Spanish and hope that I know what it means and then we'll carry on in English.

"We speak the language of football. That's all that matters."

Some Liverpool supporters were more direct in expressing their opinions about this gesture.

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