Trent Alexander-Arnold was booed by Liverpool fans during their draw with Arsenal ahead of his impending move to Real Madrid, with Mohamed Salah now hitting out at those who jeered the right-back
Mohamed Salah has told Liverpool fans they should NOT have booed Trent Alexander-Arnold when he came on during last Sunday’s draw with Arsenal. Salah has become the first Liverpool player to publicly criticise his own supporters for the way they reacted to Alexander-Arnold announcing his departure from the club.
Asked if he was saddened by the jeering of the England defender, Salah told Sky Sports: “Absolutely. I was surprised because it is not how we act as Liverpool fans. The fans have been harsh with him. He didn’t deserve that because he gave it all to the fans.”
And Salah now wants the Liverpool supporters who targeted Trent to heed his words and change their attitude towards the Real Madrid-bound full-back. Salah went on: “We always appreciate the people who came here, even if it was for six months.
“Imagine someone who gave his all for 20 years. It shouldn’t be like this and I hope it will change in the next game – Brighton or the last game of the season – because he deserves the best farewell leaving the club. He has done a lot for the city and a lot for the club.”
Salah, who ended his own contract saga by signing a new deal late in the season, even said he fully understands why Alexander-Arnold, 26, is leaving Liverpool, even suggesting the player might have been struggling with the mental challenge.
The Egyptian said: “He was probably the best home-grown player in the club’s history and he needed a new challenge. He needs to change and challenge himself. People do not know about it much, but he is 20 years in the club. He spoke to me about it.
“It is so tough mentally for someone to be 20 years in a club. It is the place you love, yes. I love the place. But going every day to the same place, mentally you could be depressed. He is 26-years-old and a league title winner twice. What more could he have done? I really wish him the best.”
And Salah also revealed that, at one point, he thought he was almost certainly on his way out of Anfield. Asked how, 12 months ago, he rated his chances of remaining at Liverpool, he replied: “Based on club history, 10 percent.
“Because we know how the club – I’m not attacking them – just I know how they deal with the players over 30 in the past, and I know how the situation will be, so I’d never expect that the club was going to be like ‘okay, two years with the money, and all of us are happy’. So I didn’t expect that I’m going to stay.
“I know how the club works, it’s not something that is bad, it’s just we see how they dealt with a situation like this in the past. So, based on experience, you just judge a situation. I think it took like six months for negotiations to start going really quick.
“I think from January it’s like, okay, now things are getting better and better. So it took a while. I think the club was testing me to see if I can still provide or not!”
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