Trent Alexander-Arnold hails ‘incredible’ Real Madrid debut despite stalemate

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s dream debut for Real Madrid was tempered by frustration as Al Hilal denied them victory in their Club World Cup opener.

The former Liverpool defender was included in the starting line-up at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium along with Dean Huijsen – a summer signing from Bournemouth – but they and their team-mates had to settle for a 1-1 draw.

Asked about the experience afterwards, Alexander-Arnold told DAZN: “An incredible day. To have made a debut for Real Madrid is something, I think, almost every player dreams of, so to be able to achieve it is huge for me.

“Of course, there’s some disappointment in there to have not won the game. It’s the mentality you need to have as a Real Madrid player, to want and expect to win every game that you playing, so disappointed not to do that.

“But there were a lot of positives, especially in the second half.”

The England international was warmly received by the Madrid fans as he played the opening 65 minutes, and thanked them for their support.

He added: “Incredible. I felt the support from the moment I signed with the club, to be honest. Absolutely sensational. Our fanbase is global, truly global, all over the world and you feel it every single day, the fans at training grounds and the hotel, all over social media as well.

“The support is incredible, so a huge thank you for that. Of course, we dominated the stands today as well, which was incredible. The support is truly amazing.”

If Alexander-Arnold’s debut was one of the talking points before the game, it was goalkeeper Bono who was Al Hilal’s hero as he saved a late penalty to deny the Spaniards victory.

The 34-year-old Morocco international kept out Federico Valverde’s stoppage-time spot-kick to ensure it