Trent Alexander-Arnold's Liverpool dream dashed, dramatic U-turn, decision explained

Trent Alexander-Arnold will wave Anfield goodbye when this season comes to a close, bringing the curtain down on a trophy-laden tenure with his boyhood . The midfielder-turned-defender first donned the colours of when joining their academy at the age of six, and rose rapidly through the club's youth ranks, being named captain across an array of levels.

His senior debut came in 2016 under the manager who transformed him into one of the world's finest full-backs, , and the rest is history. A trophy, two titles and a trio of domestic cups later, and the 26-year-old has announced that this campaign with his contract set to expire, leaving behind his hallowed legacy for pastures new on a free transfer.

Mirror Football takes a look at some of the decisions and comments that have led to the Scouser in the team's departure, including 's captaincy admission, his original stance on leaving his boyhood Reds, and the specific reasoning behind his exit.

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A captaincy dream

Having been named skipper throughout his time in Liverpool's academy cohort, Alexander-Arnold made it clear that becoming captain of the Reds at senior level was a lifelong goal.

Speaking in 2024, he admitted: "I have always said I want to captain the club. That is a goal of mine, whether that happens is out of my hands. I want to be a Liverpool player this season [as a minimum] is what I will say."

During his emerging years, held the armband - a role the midfielder picked up from the legendary in 2015. However, when Henderson left in 2023, it was not Alexander-Arnold that was given the honour, but instead the more senior Virgil van Dijk - another whose Liverpool future was up in the air this campaign before the Dutchman penned a new two-year extension in April.

With Van Dijk likely to be captain until his contract expires, Alexander-Arnold becoming skipper would have had to wait, and now the star who was announced as vice-captain in 2023 will take his talents elsewhere.

One club U-turn

It wasn't always a certainty that Alexander-Arnold would leave his boyhood Liverpool come the end of Arne Slot's debut campaign, and in 2018, he insisted that he could never see himself wearing any other shirt.

"There is nowhere else I'd rather be than Liverpool. Somewhere I want to stay for the rest of my career is Liverpool," he told seven years ago.

"It's what I've always dreamed of. Liverpool are special. It's completely down to the fans. Whether we are winning or losing, we always have their love."

Alas, seven years is a long time, and throughout those trophy-rich terms, it seems as though the desire for a new challenge elsewhere has outweighed a childhood enamoration.

Exit announced

When it became apparent that the defender was down to the last year of his deal, speculation swirled around him, Van Dijk, and talismanic forward regarding where they would be playing their football next season.

Specifically, speculation linking Alexander-Arnold with a move to and close peer was aptly fuelled. While both his team-mates have since penned new deals, the Englishman will not be, giving his reasoning for leaving as wanting to seek a new challenge and push his boundaries.

He told : "I think first and foremost, I want to say it’s not an easy decision and there’s a lot of thought and feeling that has gone into it. I’ve been here 20 years now, loved every single minute of it, achieved all my dreams, achieved everything I’ve ever wanted to here.

"Giving everything day in, day out for 20 years, I’ve got to a point now where I feel like I need a change, a new challenge for me as a player and as a person. And I think now is the right time for me to do that.

"It just boiled down to what I felt I needed, and that is a change. That’s something I need to do on my personal journey as a person, but also as a player and a professional, to go and challenge myself elsewhere. I feel like a challenge in a different environment is something I need to do as a player."

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