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Thibaut Courtois has issued a strong reaction to Liverpool fans booing Trent Alexander-Arnold during the Reds' 1-0 win over Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday night. Those of an Anfield persuasion are likely sick of the sight of the towering Belgian goalkeeper, who once again played out of his skin to keep Xabi Alonso’s side in the contest until the very end. His nine saves in midweek mean that, since the start of the 2022 Champions League final, a remarkable 23 per cent of Courtois’ stops in Europe’s premier competition have come against the Reds. In the end, it took the shortest man in the box to make the difference - Alexis Mac Allister rising to meet a Dominik Szoboszlai free-kick and head home, securing Arne Slot and co. their second win over Los Blancos in as many seasons. TV cameras quickly cut to Trent’s reaction, the defender looking visibly stunned by the opener. But his night went from bad to worse when his substitution onto the pitch was met by a chorus of boos from a stadium he once called home. His £10 million move away from his boyhood club over the summer was one of the biggest transfer sagas in recent memory - and his return has clearly reopened some old wounds. Watch the crowd's reaction to his return below: Thibaut Courtois Reacts To Trent Getting Booed By Liverpool Fans Trent’s departure has divided the Liverpool fanbase ever since rumours of his move to Madrid first began to swirl. In one corner are those who support his desire to seek a new challenge after winning everything there was to win on Merseyside. But the more popular stance is one of vitriolic criticism toward a player who, at the peak of his powers and on course to share the same spotlight as Steven Gerrard, chose instead to sell his soul to a club that has so often denied the Reds their brightest glories. Reacting to the reception Trent got upon his return to Anfield, Courtois acknowledged the supporters' right to feel how they want to feel, but wished that one day they could learn to forgive him. He told beIN Sports (watch the full interview below): "I had it when I left Chelsea. But it's not the same, he's a kid from Liverpool. It's a pity. Obviously, I'm not judging the fans, they're entitled to their own opinion. But he's a young kid who played all his career with Liverpool, and we only have one career, and we all have dreams. "I hope that the fans can forgive him in the longer term, and eventually he can come back, and they'll honour him for all the trophies he won." Courtois' comments, though seemingly fair and two-sided, have not gone down well among Liverpool supporters, as one X user remarked: "Courtois, of all people, wants to lecture us about morals," while a second added: "Traitors have a strong bond with each other." Meanwhile, a third wrote: "Would rather honour [Philippe] Coutinho. Atleast his money got us Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker," as another supporter tried to educate the goalkeeper, commenting: "You're missing the point big man, it’s not about the trophies or the player, it’s about the man and how he conducted himself to the club and the fans that gave him the opportunity to win those trophies." The 27-year-old has been enjoying life in Madrid and often speaks highly of his new adventure in interviews - usually conducted half in Spanish and half in English. But from the outside looking in, his career appears to have taken a slight hit since the high-profile switch - one that could either prove costly in the long run or simply mark a slow start to a new chapter. He featured regularly during the Club World Cup but drew criticism for the sheer number of crosses he expected Kylian Mbappe to get on the end of, before being dropped first for Dani Carvajal and later Federico Valverde. Now third in the right-back pecking order and with only five appearances this season, he currently finds himself out of contention for England’s World Cup squad next summer, having been overlooked by Thomas Tuchel in favour of Reece James.
