Liverpool: Virgil van Dijk issues demand to Trent Alexander-Arnold in response to Anfield boos
Virgil van Dijk has told Liverpool team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold to “deal with it” after being booed in his first match since announcing he’ll leave the club.
On May 5, Alexander-Arnold announced that he’d be departing his boyhood club at the end of the season. He has been there for 20 years, but is likely to move on to Real Madrid.
Arne Slot dropped him for Liverpool‘s Premier League match against Arsenal, instead deciding that Conor Bradley would need to get used to starting at right-back.
But Alexander-Arnold replaced Bradley with around half an hour to go, and the Anfield crowd booed him when he entered the field, and again when he first touched the ball.
His captain, Van Dijk, feels the right-back has to deal with crowd reaction.
“We want to win two more games and after the final whistle, including him [Alexander-Arnold], lift the trophy up and celebrate like we have never done before,” Van Dijk said via BBC Sport.
“The [crowd] reaction happened. He has to deal with it. We as a team have to deal with that as well.
“I wasn’t really expecting something, to be honest, but I think maybe he expected this. It’s not easy, not at all. We’re here for him anyway.
“We are gutted that he’s not here with us next year because he’s a fantastic player with outstanding, exceptional qualities that we have seen over the last seven years.”
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Van Dijk himself could have left on a free transfer at the end of the season, but decided to remain with Liverpool, and he feels there would have been no better place for him to have played.
“Everyone shares different opinions and he feels like he has done it all, and he did it, and he wants to try something different,” Van Dijk said.
“You are speaking about one of the biggest clubs of all in Real Madrid, who he might go to as I read in the media.
“I was sorting my own stuff out. I had to secure my future as well and I was quite busy doing that. There were loads of other options, but Liverpool is the place for me.”
Van Dijk also feels there’s a “lot of players that deserve an amazing day” on Liverpool’s trophy parade, and any reaction to Alexander-Arnold won’t spoil that.
READ MORE: Liverpool to ‘return’ with swap ‘exchange’ offer to land Arsenal, Man Utd target as ‘dream’ signing
