Trent Alexander-Arnold has revealed the extent of the online abuse and threats he received after leaving Liverpool for Real Madrid, while insisting he still supports his boyhood club and watches every match.

In a wide-ranging interview with the Sunday Mirror, the England defender spoke for the first time about his acrimonious departure, the hostile reception on his return to Anfield, and the emotional impact of former teammate Diogo Jota's death.

Abuse and the line between passion and hostility

Alexander-Arnold left Liverpool for Real Madrid in the summer of 2025 after running down his contract, ending a 20-year association with the club he joined at age six. The move provoked a strong reaction from some fans.

He drew a distinction between anger expressed inside a stadium and what he called "stuff that crossed the line" online. "Abuse online and threats made via social DMs or in other ways are a sad part of life in 2026 if you're in the public eye and doing things that create a lot of attention," he told the Mirror. "I choose to keep those things away from me because they don't feel real."

He added that he rationalises the abuse by knowing it is "not representative of a football club I love, LFC, and it's not representative of my home city."

A mural celebrating Alexander-Arnold in Liverpool was repeatedly defaced with the word "rat," and he admitted the vandalism made him question whether to return to Anfield for the Champions League match. "Going back to Liverpool after everything that's happened it was on my mind," he said. "If I'm honest, if something affects me and upsets me, it shows in my family as well. They are in it with me…we're together."

The Anfield return

Alexander-Arnold returned to Anfield in November 2025 with Real Madrid for a Champions League match that ended in a 1-0 defeat, with Alexis Mac Allister scoring the winner. He was introduced as a substitute in the 80th minute and was jeered by fans during the warm-up and when his name was announced.

He said he was able to accept the reaction. "The booing and disappointment from Liverpool supporters is something I'm absolutely able to shoulder," he said. "I can understand it, in my own way."

He acknowledged that many Liverpool fans "didn't want to be told how to feel or think" after his departure, and said he hoped for "a degree of understanding" about the decisions he made. "It hurts because of how much I've put into the club over the course of 20 years and the sacrifices I made," he continued. "So of course it hurts, but I understand the disappointment. I even understand anger expressed through booing."

Continuing to support Liverpool

Despite the abuse, Alexander-Arnold said his love for Liverpool has not wavered. "I still watch every game," he said. "I support them. I want to see them do well." He described Liverpool as "home" and said that in-person encounters with supporters since his move have been positive, helping him separate the online hostility from real-life sentiment.

He also spoke about the broader issue of online abuse, saying it is "a proper topic" that "governments and tech companies" need to address. He acknowledged that he has been able to shield himself from much of it, but noted that "for some people it's not possible."

Grief and closure after Diogo Jota's death

The interview also touched on the death of Diogo Jota, who was killed along with his brother Andre Silva in a car crash in Spain in July 2025. Alexander-Arnold was in the United States at the time with England for the Club World Cup.

He said the return to Anfield helped him find closure after the loss. "I think that's what was difficult… going through it on your own," he told the Sunday Mirror. "Everybody else who had known him for that amount of time were all grouped together."

Alexander-Arnold and Jota spent five seasons together at Liverpool, and the former right-back said they spoke "every day" and shared a competitive streak during injury recoveries. "I was injured a couple of times when he was and we were doing our training to get back fit together, and we were both very competitive," he recalled. "We would always, you know, have different competitions between ourselves. Those are the kind of memories that I'll hold close to me."

Liverpool installed a permanent memorial to Jota and his brother at Anfield, a sculpture titled "Forever 20" by artist Emma Rodgers, featuring a flowing heart that echoes Jota's goal celebration.

England omission and what's next

Alexander-Arnold also spoke about being left out of England's World Cup squad, describing his reaction to the call from manager Thomas Tuchel. The right-back has struggled for form at Real Madrid since his move, starting only 14 LaLiga games in his first season and failing to score in any competition for the first time since 2016/17. The club has since signed Denzel Dumfries from Inter Milan to provide competition under new manager Jose Mourinho.

Speculation has continued over whether Alexander-Arnold could one day return to Anfield. talkSPORT's Angelina Kelly has argued Liverpool should be open to re-signing him.