Liverpool manager Arne Slot waxed lyrical about Trent Alexander-Arnold after his stunning goal helped them beat Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup third round.
Alexander-Arnold, his contract expires in the summer and leads tRANSFER Real Madrid target, was heavily criticized for his performance in Liverpool's 2-2 draw with Manchester Unitedwith many thinking that speculation about his future had affected his state of mind.
But there were no such worries for Alexander-Arnold against League Two Accrington, who battled bravely at Anfield in front of the quality of Premier League leaders shined.
Diogo Jota broke the deadlock for Liverpool after a quick breakaway and the game was only set in motion by Alexander-Arnold's incredible goal moments before the half-time interval.
“I could talk for hours about that goal,” Slott remarked of Alexander-Arnold's strike. “The biggest compliment Trent could get was everyone's reaction (on Saturday) after the Manchester United game.
“Every player in the world, except maybe a few, has a bad game and it's perfectly normal. But the moment Trent has one, everyone has an opinion about it.
“Maybe it's because of the contract situation. If it wasn't there, I don't know if people would have reacted the same way. A lot of them were pretty harsh on him.”
“I think it was good for Trent to play in our stadium and feel the welcome of the fans again,” added Slot. “It was special and it can only help him and us.
“If you want to do special things this season, you can do it together, not only the players, the coach, but definitely with the fans.”
Real Madrid have already seen an approach to Alexander-Arnold Dropped by Liverpool, with the Merseyside club still hoping their academy graduate will pen a new long-term contract.
Alexander-Arnold has expressed his desire to win Ballon d'Orhowever, the chances of winning that individual accolade are usually increased by playing for a more iconic club like Madrid, who have 15 European Cups/Champions League crowns to their name compared to Liverpool's six.