Trent Alexander-Arnold’s long-anticipated Real Madrid debut may not have gone to script, but England legend Alan Shearer has backed the former Liverpool star to bounce back and thrive in Spain.
Alexander-Arnold featured in Real Madrid’s opening Club World Cup fixture against Al-Hilal but was substituted after 65 minutes in a 1-1 draw. Despite showing glimpses of promise, the 26-year-old failed to make a significant offensive impact.
Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, Shearer insisted there’s no reason to panic over the subdued debut. “He’ll have better days than that,” Shearer said. “It’ll take time for him to adapt to the new system and environment, but there’s no doubt in my mind he’ll succeed.”
The draw also marked the first outing for Xabi Alonso as Real’s manager. The former Bayer Leverkusen boss guided the German side to an unbeaten domestic double and now faces the challenge of managing a star-studded Madrid squad.
Despite being among the tournament favourites, Shearer expressed doubts about Real’s ability to lift the trophy. “They’ve brought in Alonso for his success, but whether he has enough time to implement his ideas during this tournament remains to be seen.”
Gary Lineker echoed Shearer’s sentiments, highlighting the difficulty of managing egos at such a high-profile club. “It’ll be fascinating to see if a relatively inexperienced but successful coach like Alonso can get buy-in from some of the biggest names in football,” Lineker said.
For Alexander-Arnold, it’s a new chapter after years of Premier League success, and he remains optimistic. “It was an incredible moment to debut for Real Madrid,” he told DAZN. “Of course, we’re disappointed not to have won, but there were many positives in the second half.”
Real Madrid’s next fixture is against Pachuca before they close out Group H with a clash against Red Bull Salzburg. As the tournament progresses, all eyes will be on how quickly Alonso’s system takes root—and how quickly Alexander-Arnold settles into life in Madrid.