The defender’s tribute is defaced with white paint and the word “rat” as the former hero prepares to face his boyhood club with Real Madrid.
A mural honoring Trent Alexander-Arnold near Anfield stadium has been vandalized, just hours before the local-born star is due to return to face Liverpool with Real Madrid in a charged Champions League encounter.
The artwork, which bears the defender’s quote, “I’m just a normal lad from Liverpool whose dream has come true,” was defaced with white paint and scrawled with the word “rat” in both English and Spanish. The act reflects the bitter feelings of some fans following Alexander-Arnold’s decision to leave the club at the end of his contract last summer, ending a 21-year association that began when he was just six years old.
Cleaners were swiftly on the scene in an attempt to restore the tribute, which was originally unveiled after Liverpool’s 2019 Champions League triumph. The vandalism sets a tense backdrop for Tuesday night’s match, where the 27-year-old could face a hostile reception from the very fans who once adored him.
Ahead of the emotionally charged fixture, Alexander-Arnold acknowledged the difficulty of the occasion. “When the draw was announced, I think everyone kind of knew it was going to happen,” he told Prime Video Sport. “[I have] mixed emotions. I think it’ll be a very, very difficult game but one that I’m excited for.”
The defaced mural now stands as a stark, physical symbol of a fractured relationship between a club and the local lad whose dream once came true on the hallowed Anfield pitch.
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