Published: 23:00, 4 November 2025 | Updated: 23:00, 4 November 2025

Jamie Carragher has defended the hostile reception received by Trent Alexander-Arnold on the right back's first return to Anfield since leaving Liverpool in the summer.

The 27-year-old joined Real Madrid in May on a six-year contract, shortly after the Liverpool academy graduate won the Premier League with his boyhood club.

Alexander-Arnold's summer departure had caused a backlash from the Liverpool fanbase, with many angry that the full back had let his contract run down, preventing the club from garnering a significant fee. He would ultimately complete a £10m move with Real Madrid opting to sign him ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup. 

Ahead of Tuesday night's meeting between the two teams, his mural near the stadium on Sybil Road – which shows the defender alongside the words, 'I'm just a normal lad from Liverpool whose dream has come true' – was defaced with the words 'adios el rata' (Spanish for 'goodbye rat').

Speaking on CBS, Peter Schmeichel described the reception Alexander-Arnold received in the lead-up to the match as 'disgusting'.

The...