Why Trent Alexander-Arnold Used His First Name, Not Surname, on Real Madrid Jersey

• Trent Alexander-Arnold made his Real Madrid debut, but he used his first name in the shirt instead of his surname
• The England defender produced an underwhelming performance in his first game in the famous white kit
• The 26-year-old left Liverpool in unceremonious circumstances and was heavily criticised for it

Trent Alexander-Arnold recently disclosed why he chose to use his first name instead of his surname on the back of his Real Madrid shirt.

When did Trent Alexander-Arnold make Real Madrid debut?

The England international started at right-back against Al-Hilal, which was also Xabi Alonso's first game in charge.

The former Liverpool star had an underwhelming performance, but his challenge on his box led to Gonzalo Garcia scoring for Real Madrid.

Former Premier League star Ruben Neves converted from the spot after Raul Asencio had fouled Marcos Leonardo. Alonso nearly registered his first win, but Federico Valverde saw his 92nd-minute penalty saved by Bounou.

Alexander-Arnold was hooked in the 64th minute and replaced by Lucas Vazquez. The Englishman struggled when he came up against Salem Al-Dawsari.

He didn't have eye-catching moments but attempted some of his trademark passes. The defender also made more passes into the final third (12) and more crosses (five), per Sky Sports.

"It was incredible to make my debut. Playing for Real Madrid is something everybody dreams of, although we're disappointed not to have won the game. Part of the Real Madrid mentality is winning every game. There were lots of positives to take from it, especially in the second half," he said after the game.

Alexander-Arnold and Madrid will face Pachuca on Sunday in their second group H clash before facing RB Salzburg.

How did fans react to Alexander-Arnold's performance?

Liverpool fans were furious when the 26-year-old announced he was leaving the club, and their anger grew when he spoke Spanish during his presentation ceremony. He was trolled after his debut.

@Green_Scouser:

"Trent looks like an even worse defender than Alexander-Arnold was."

@elfayz_:

"Don’t let anyone tell you Trent had a bad game by the way. Don’t be gaslighted pls."

@john322226:

"After watching Trent, We need to stop Barcelona from signing Nico Williams."

@AnfieldRd96:

"La Liga is going to eat Trent alive and I can’t wait to see it."

Why did Trelander-Arnold use his first name?

Alexander-Arnold also explained why he decided to use his first name on his jersey and change his Instagram name from '@trentarnold66' to '@trent'.

"People call me Alexander, Arnold, Alex and Trent. There's a lot going on. So I thought let's make it easy," he said during his presentation.

He wore no.66 when he made his Liverpool debut in 2016 and never switched. He will wear no.12 at his new club.

Supercomputer predicts Club World Cup

In a related story, TUKO.co.ke reported that Opta's supercomputer predicted the winner of the 2025 Club World Cup.

PSG are the leading favourites with an 18.5% chance of winning it, followed by Manchester City, who have a 17.8% chance.

11 of the 12 European teams occupy the top positions in the rankings, with South Americans next on the list with less than 1% chance.

Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.

Source: TUKO.co.ke