‘I think maybe he expected this’ – Virgil van Dijk on the boos for Trent Alexander-Arnold and defender’s decision to leave Liverpool | OneFootball

Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk says he feels sympathy for team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold after the England defender was loudly booed by the club’s supporters having announced he would leave the club at the end of the season.

Alexander-Arnold will leave his boyhood club this summer, where he has been since 2004, and is widely expected to join Real Madrid.

Liverpool fans responded by letting their feelings be known about the right-back’s decision and van Dijk admits Alexander-Arnold likely would likely have expected a negative reaction.

“The manager said it right in the press conference that you can’t decide how anyone feels about the decision he made for him and his family,” van Dijk said.

“The reaction happened. He has to deal with it. We as a team have to deal with that as well, by the way. But I think maybe he expected this. We have two more games and then we part ways and he will go somewhere else.

“It’s not easy, not at all. We’re here for him anyway but I think the manager said it pretty well. You can’t decide how anyone’s feelings are based on this decision. He made his decision and he had peace with it.

“It’s football. We all know how it works, how the players have to make decisions at times and do what they think is best for themselves and their families that they have. He made the decision for himself and he’s at peace with it.

“We have to deal with it. The club has to deal with it and I think in the past the club dealt with it in very good ways as well. Like I said, we have two more games that he will have to play a part in as well. I’m sure will because he’s a fantastic player and then we’ll say goodbye to him.”

“For me there is no other place to be at this point,” said the Dutchman. “Everyone shares different opinions and he feels like he has done it all – and he did it – and he wants to try something different.

“You are speaking about one of the biggest clubs of all in Real Madrid, who he might go to as I read in the media. The decision is made. We are all gutted, players as well, as he is a fantastic player.

“When the final whistle is there we will miss him after that but we still have two more games, the trophy lift and a parade so there are plenty of moments we can share together and then we will see what happens.”