England right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold described joining Real Madrid as a “dream come true” and “huge responsibility” as he addressed the audience in Spanish at his presentation on Thursday.
Alexander-Arnold, 26, would have been able to leave Liverpool on a free transfer at the end of his contract on 30 June but the 15-time European champions Real paid the Reds a fee to release him early so that he could play for them at this month’s Club World Cup.
A highlights video showing Alexander-Arnold as a young player plus his goals, assists and defending for Liverpool and England was played prior to Real president Florentino Perez welcoming the right-back to the club.
Alexander-Arnold, who was sat with his girlfriend, Estelle Behnke, his parents and brothers, then took to the stage and addressed the audience – which included former Real left-back Roberto Carlos – in Spanish.
“Thank you so much to President Florentino Perez and Real Madrid for this opportunity,” he said.
“Signing for a club like Real Madrid doesn’t happen every day. It’s a dream come true. I’m very happy and proud to be here. I’m eager to show the club and the fans what I can do.”
Alexander-Arnold said he is “ready to give everything for the team and for the Real Madrid fans”, adding: “I want to show them what I can do, I want to win many titles, be champions, and continue to grow and enjoy football with the best in the world.”
The two-time Premier League champion was then pictured with Perez holding the Real shirt, with the name Trent instead of Alexander-Arnold on it, and the number 12 rather than the 66 he wore at Liverpool.
“A player who has won everything, one of the best defenders and full-backs in world football,” said Perez.
“One on the greatest players worldwide is joining this club and hopefully we can write a new page in the history books.”
In his news conference shortly afterwards in which he spoke English, Alexander-Arnold said he had been learning Spanish for “few months”.
He added: “I think he [Perez] was happy with the amount of Spanish I was able to speak, which I think surprised a lot of people.
“For me, it was important to be able to do that and it shows that the intent I have got is to come here and have a good start, to get off on the right foot and to achieve something straight away, starting with the Club World Cup.”
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