‘It’s pathetic’ - Michael Owen slams Liverpool fans who sing about ‘pretty average’ players as he warns Trent Alexander-Arnold of consequences if he leaves Anfield

Alexander-Arnold, whose contract with Liverpool expires at the end of the season, could join the Spanish giants on a free transfer next summer. Owen, who himself moved from Liverpool to Real Madrid in 2004 for £8 million, shared insights from his experience, cautioning the 26-year-old right-back about the impact such a decision could have on his career and legacy.

Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, Owen highlighted the challenges that come with leaving a boyhood club for a foreign league. He stated: “I can assure you I was as loyal and committed and everything else as the likes of Trent and [Jamie] Carragher and all these people. But you lose a little bit of control and things happen. Then you've almost gone into career mode and right, I've got to stay at the top, I've got to do this, I've got to keep my England place. All these other factors start coming in. Whereas when you're at Liverpool, when you're at your boyhood club, it just all happens in front of you. You've got no decisions to make, just keep getting out there and playing football. It's all different."

Owen’s own move to Real Madrid marked the beginning of a complex relationship with Liverpool fans. While his time in Spain was brief, his later transfer to Manchester United in 2009 further damaged his standing among the Reds faithful. Reflecting on these moments, Owen admitted: “I get it, I'm not stupid. Someone would say, 'But he (Alexander-Arnold) won't go to Manchester United or he won't do this or he won't do that', but I didn't expect to either."

He also addressed the sentimental nature of football fandom, noting that players with limited contributions to the club often enjoy greater adoration than those with significant achievements.

"Circumstances will dictate how people are viewed," he added. "I can go back to Anfield and listen to the crowd, the Kop singing for players that played 10 games and were pretty average for Liverpool, but because they've got a catchy name, they get sung to all the time and people have this assumption that they are great for the club.

"All of us ex-players are baffled and actually giggle at certain things like that. Listen, football can be so much as what happens on the last bloody game of your career. You can go throughout your life and be absolutely extraordinary and do everything for a club, but the one little moment, people half remember that. It's pathetic in many ways, but that's it, isn't it? That's life."

As speculation swirls around Alexander-Arnold’s future, Liverpool will focus on their next challenge on the pitch. The Reds are set to host Leicester City at Anfield on Boxing Day, aiming to continue their strong form in the Premier League.