Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold does not want his career defined by silverware and has admitted he has considered the possibility of never winning a trophy again.
The England international, who turned 26 on Monday, won the Champions League, Premier League and Club World Cup before his 22nd birthday and has since added the FA and League Cups to his tally.
But Jurgen Klopp’s departure from Anfield in the summer naturally brought with it a degree of uncertainty.
Arne Slot’s record-breaking start to the season has allayed immediate concerns, but with Alexander-Arnold out of contract at the end of the summer, his links with Real Madrid have refused to go away.
Alexander-Arnold, a graduate of the club’s academy, said he would measure his career by personal involvement and development rather than trophies.
“This was a conversation I had with (Eberechi) Eze at the last (England) camp when we went to Ireland,” he told ITV.
“I said, ‘There’s a chance I’ll never win a trophy again in my career.’ That’s a possibility. I have a chance to get more.
“And you will only find out the morning after you retire. You will look at yourself in the mirror and feel either regret or satisfaction about what you have accomplished.
“But I don’t think you can place that value on trophies and medals, goals and assists. Something like that.
“More than that, I provided absolutely everything from start to finish and put everything into it.
“And as far as I can tell I tried to get better every day, I tried to be the best player possible for the team and try to help the team win as many games as possible. I had the potential that everyone told me about from a very young age. “I think I would be extremely satisfied if I maximized it.”
