Trent Alexander-Arnold bucked the trend of British Real Madrid arrivals delivering stilted bursts of Spanish at their official unveiling with a surprisingly fluent opening speech.

After endless months of speculation surrounding this transfer—which turned out to not be free—the former Liverpool full back was finally presented with his new Madrid squad number (and name) in the Spanish capital on Thursday lunchtime.

Unlike many of his compatriots before him, Alexander-Arnold did not lean upon his native tongue when first taking to the lectern.

“Thank you all for this opportunity,” the proud Scouser told a crowded theatre in confident Spanish. “Signing for Madrid doesn't happen every day. It’s a dream come true. I’m eager to show my game to the Real Madrid fans; I’m aware of the responsibility that comes with playing here. I’m going to give it my all to show my game and win many titles. Thank you very much, and hala Madrid!”

Madridistas were already thrilled by the prospect of having anyone other than Lucas Vazquez trundling up and down the right flank, but Alexander-Arnold’s fluency made his arrival even more warmly welcomed.

Liverpool fans had a rather different reaction. For those supporters still disappointed to lose an academy gem for the minimal fee of £8.4 million ($11.4 million), the overriding reaction was suspicious, to say the least.

When Darwin Núñez joined Liverpool in 2023, Alexander-Arnold admitted that the language barrier was a hurdle he had not yet overcome. “I know a little bit of Spanish from school, so I am able to speak a little bit and he is learning English which is good,” the England international explained at the time.

“We probably sort of speak part of a sentence in English and then maybe a word he doesn’t know he’ll say in Spanish and hope that I know what it means and then we’ll carry on in English.

“We speak the language of football. That’s all that matters.”

Some Liverpool fans were not so subtle with their view on this gesture.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Trent Alexander-Arnold Stuns Fans With First Real Madrid Message.

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