Trent Alexander-Arnold must enjoy Anfield return – Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso

Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso wants Trent Alexander-Arnold to enjoy his first return to Anfield, despite an anticipated hostile reception.

The Liverpool academy graduate’s decision not to renew his contract and leave in the summer led to him being booed by his own fans during the match against Arsenal in May after he had made his decision public.

Although Liverpool received £8.4million from Real to essentially buy out the final four weeks of his contract to enable him to compete in the Club World Cup, that was little consolation for many supporters who were upset by the way he handled his exit.

That is likely to be reflected in his reception on Tuesday evening, even if he does not make the starting line-up as he has not featured in the last two matches since returning from a hamstring injury sustained against Marseille in mid-September.

“We haven’t spoken about that precisely, but we have spoken about the team, the club,” said Alonso, whose previous returns as a 2005 Champions League winner with Liverpool have been much more welcoming.

“He has to have his own feelings and enjoy it his own way, so I am not going to say how he needs to feel.

“For sure his history is different from mine, he was born and bred in Liverpool, I remember him from a young age in the academy and then coming to the first team and winning the Champions League.

“So he needs to enjoy that moment because it is nice to be back and for him it is going to be nice.”

Madrid opted to train in Spain before flying out, but after the press conference Alexander-Arnold laid a personal tribute at the temporary Anfield memorial to former team-mate Diogo Jota, who died in a car crash in July. Dean Huijsen, alongside Alonso and director of football Emilio