Trent Alexander-Arnold was open about how things were different at Liverpool before his exit

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Trent Alexander-Arnold revealed the adjustments he made to his game six months before departing Liverpool for Real Madrid . The academy graduate spent only one campaign under Arne Slot before concluding he required a fresh challenge.

It proved to be a remarkable season as the Reds stormed to the title, while Alexander-Arnold had to adapt to the tactical requirements of the Dutch manager, having previously only featured under Jurgen Klopp .

The right-back explained the modifications that resulted in him having a reduced creative impact on the side, as Slot aimed to strengthen his defensive contributions. Alexander-Arnold told the club's website about the adaptability needed. He said: "In certain games, I'll be inside because of the way they [the opposition] press. Sometimes they press differently. It all varies on how they press."

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Despite adopting a less prominent attacking role, he acknowledged that Slot's tactical alterations still enabled him to influence matches. He added: "The manager will dissect how they press so we can outnumber the way they press.

"If they press with three, we'll have four players around, so that we can play through them. If they press with a two, then there'll be three players. It's just about who those players are and where it works best.

"So, wherever the manager tells me to be, I'll be there because he'll tell me that's most likely where you'll get the ball. And if that changes, then he'll tell me during the game, 'You're not getting the ball there, try there and maybe surprise him in there and see if that works.' Throughout the game, there's a lot of things going on but if I understand it then it'll work. So far it has."

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Whether these tweaks played a part in Alexander-Arnold's decision to depart the club remains uncertain. Meanwhile, Slot was frank about the player's need to sharpen up defensively, telling TNT Sports: "When we started to work together, I emphasised also a bit on his defensive work.

"He had to keep producing the numbers in assisting goals, but if we wanted to be a team that concedes less shots, he had to improve a bit in defending."

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Alexander-Arnold has had a challenging first season in Madrid, marked by a managerial change following Xabi Alonso's sacking and difficulty securing a consistent spot in the starting line-up. The 27-year-old was recently benched for arriving late to a training session ahead of the Madrid derby against Atletico, although he came off the bench to assist Vinicius Jr's winning goal in the 3-2 triumph.

Meanwhile, it appears that Alexander-Arnold is set to miss the World Cup after failing to make England's 35-man squad for the friendlies against Uruguay and Japan.