Michael Owen has warned Trent Alexander-Arnold about what to expect when he returns to Anfield.
Michael Owen, who once made the same switch from Liverpool to Real Madrid, has spoken about what it was like to return to Anfield after leaving – and his story serves as a serious warning for Trent Alexander-Arnold ahead of his own comeback.
Alexander-Arnold is set to be in the squad for Real Madrid’s Champions League showdown with Liverpool on Tuesday, just five months after departing his boyhood club on a free transfer. The move caused huge controversy, and although he admitted it was “one of the toughest decisions” he’d ever made, the right-back is expected to be met with a frosty reception.
The England international says he is feeling “mixed emotions” ahead of the tie. Speaking to Amazon Prime, he said: “When the draw came out, everyone kind of knew it was written. I always felt I’d end up facing Liverpool sooner or later, whether at Anfield or the Bernabéu. It’s a massive game, a difficult one, but I’m excited for it. A huge stage, a huge occasion.”
Addressing the reaction he might receive from the Liverpool faithful, he added: “However the fans choose to respond is up to them. I’ll always love the club and be grateful for everything we achieved together. Those memories will stay with me forever. No matter what happens on the night, my feelings for Liverpool won’t change.”
Owen’s difficult homecoming
Owen, who also left Liverpool for Real Madrid earlier in his career, only spent a single season in Spain before returning to the Premier League with Newcastle. But his first game back at Anfield was far from friendly.
Some supporters booed him, and chants of “Where were you in Istanbul?” echoed around the stadium, reminding him he wasn’t part of Liverpool’s famous 2005 Champions League triumph.
Speaking to Off The Ball, Owen recalled: “When I went back and heard a few boos, it felt like a dagger to the heart. After everything I did for the club and how much I cared… it really hurt.”
Things grew even more tense when Owen later signed for Manchester United in 2009. Reflecting in an interview with The Telegraph, he admitted that leaving Liverpool changed everything:
“The moment I chose to join Real Madrid, I lost control of how people saw my career. I don’t enjoy going back to Anfield now because I know I’m not loved there anymore.”
He revealed that the hostility began long before his United move: “People say it’s because I went to United, but the truth is, the resentment was there when I was at Newcastle. I even had a clause that let me return to Liverpool every summer, but it didn’t matter.”
Owen summed it up bluntly: “That one decision in 2004 completely reshaped my relationship with Liverpool.”
