Hot off his pearler of a free kick that set Liverpool on their way to a resounding 4-0 win over Crystal Palace, men’s retail destination MR PORTER has released an interview with Trent Alexander-Arnold that sees the fullback talking in-depth about his hunger for silverware, Black Lives Matter, and why he gives back to the city that raised him.
Trent Alexander-Arnold has moved beyond being hailed as one of the brightest prospects for the future, a label that was attached to him from his first full-professional season. Instead, he is now recognised as the real deal; a Champions League – and soon to be Premier League – winner, all at the age of 21. Yeah, he’s a bit of a talent.
Sitting down with MR PORTER’s 'The Journal' for an in-depth discussion about a range of topics, including the importance of family, his ever-burning desire for success, and being a hometown hero, Alexander-Arnold was dressed out in apparel from Stone Island, Gucci, Mr P., AMI. and more. But the real focus was on the strong words the England international had on the variety of topics, in what was a typically candid conversation.
That was my motivation for the next season. That picture of how gutted they were... I didn’t want my family to feel like that again. I wanted them to be on the pitch with us celebrating, because my goal has been to win for them, rather than myself. When I saw the Real Madrid players and their families on the pitch, all I could think of was doing the same with my parents and brothers. I imagined it was us on the pitch, taking pictures together, cutting pieces of the net and being showered in confetti. I repeatedly played that thought in my mind over the course of the season, because I was desperate to make it happen... When we won the Champions League against Tottenham in Madrid and I said I was just a normal lad from Liverpool whose dream had come true, that’s what I meant. I was able to share that success with my family. The picture in my head became reality.”
When you’re able to reach so many people, especially young kids, you have to make sure that you can help them feel like anything is possible and help them grow up to have equal opportunities. They shouldn’t feel different to others and be denied the same chances in life just because of the colour of their skin, where they’re from or what their background is. For me, education is so important to all of this, because that’s where a lot of issues stem from. No one is born racist and comes into this world thinking that you deserve certain privileges based on skin colour or that you don’t deserve certain privileges based on skin colour. You get taught that. All of us have to work to undo that. So many people love football and I really hope they are absorbing the messages we are putting out there individually and through #PlayersTogether. I hope kids can see how much stronger we are when we are united, when we care about each other and when we’re committed to the greater good.”
I’ve been in the senior team fully for three seasons... The first try ended in a Champions League final defeat. The second, we missed the title by one point, but became champions of Europe. This season, we’re about to win the Premier League. So, I’m already thinking I’ve only got 14 more chances"
Head to mrporter.com to read the full interview.
Photography by Stefan Heinrichs and styled by Olie Arnold.
