'With all due respect': Alisson throws subtle dig at Trent Alexander-Arnold and his Ballon d'Or declaration
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Liverpool fans are unlikely to ever truly forgive Trent Alexander-Arnold for the way he left their football club this summer.
As he became so fond of saying, Alexander-Arnold had spent 20 years with the Reds when he decided to run down his contract and join Real Madrid in June.
The manner of his exit stung Liverpool supporters, with a prevailing sense that Alexander-Arnold had engineered the situation to maximise a signing on bonus for himself and those around him.
One of the most controversial moments of his protracted exit was when Alexander-Arnold declared that he would rather win the Ballon d’Or than captain Liverpool, or win another big trophy with the Reds.
The declaration showed him up a little, and gave a clear picture into his mindset before a move to Madrid.
In the months since, things have not gone especially well for the Scouser, and Alexander-Arnold has now been dropped for Dani Carvajal.
As if to add insult to injury, former Liverpool teammate Alisson Becker has also shown the full-back how he should have answered his Ballon d’Or question months ago.
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Alexander-Arnold was well within his rights to choose winning a Ballon d’Or over any team achievement with Liverpool, but it felt like a slap in the face at a time when he had one foot out of the door.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Alisson was asked more or less the exact same question: to choose between the Yashin Trophy – the goalkeeping equivalent of the Ballon d’Or – or winning further team trophies.
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Those on the line were another Champions League with Liverpool, another Premier League title with the Reds or the World Cup with Brazil next summer.
“I would put them all together,” answered the 32-year-old.
“I can even leave this one [Yashin Trophy] on the side.”
READ MORE: Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker explains why he is constantly changing the style of his facial hair
“With all due respect, I like to win individual awards but these are my main targets and maybe if I win these, maybe I can win that one.
Alisson then went on to say that while he would absolutely love to win both the Champions League and Premier League this season, the chance to lift the World Cup cannot be ignored.
“I would choose both of them [Premier League and Champions League], that’s the aim, but World Cup, it’s the year we’re going to play that, we’re going to try and win that,” he said.
“For a Brazilian footballer, you can win all the trophies in the world, but if you don’t win the World Cup, you don’t have a successful career.”
It is always a pleasure to hear from Alisson.
Since his arrival at Anfield in 2018, the goalkeeper has become a real fan favourite and a genuine Liverpool legend.
Over the years Alisson has had some truly iconic moments in a Liverpool shirt, and during his interview with Sky Sports he was tasked with picking his favourite.
I think for what it meant at the moment to help us keep fighting for the spot in the Champions League as well.
“I think the joy of the moment as well, you can see from the picture.