Harvey Elliott Is Who We Thought Trent Alexander-Arnold Was
Loyalty isn't spoken, it's shown.
At his peak Steven Gerrard was the best in the world. I wanted him to partner me in midfield for Madrid. I know the club tried twice but he wouldn’t leave Liverpool. Not many people turn down Real Madrid but I think that tells you a lot about the loyalty of the man.
-Zinedine Zidane
Born in West Derby, raised in the Liverpool academy, Trent Alexander-Arnold was supposed to be the heir to Steven Gerrard’s throne. And he wanted that too, or so we were told. He spoke the language of legacy from an early age, about being a one-club man, following in Gerrard’s footsteps. The same Steven Gerrard who turned down the chance to become a Galactico on two occasions, the chance to play under Jose Mourinho on three occasions, to remain loyal to his boyhood Liverpool Football Club.
And it did feel real once upon a time. The Scouser who yearned to be the next Steven Gerrard, bossing it on the biggest stages against Barcelona and in Madrid against Tottenham deep into the Champions League, against the likes of Leicester City, Chelsea, Manchester City in that title winning season in 2020. He had a pass comparable to that of Gerrard’s, a shot, a free-kick, the ambition and passion he showed for that badge.
Somewhere along the way, however, the bond began to fray. The words he spoke felt less genuine, the passion he played with began to waver, his celebrations became more about creating a brand than doing it for the Liverbird on his chest. The shushing of his own fans against Fulham at home, the hand to the ear away at West Ham, the arms raised at Anfield against Accrington Stanley. This isn’t passion, this isn’t giving everything to the club you adore. This is an attempt to become a brand, to become bigger than the football club, to emulate Jude Bellingham’s pathway to becoming a Galactico.
Harvey Elliott has shown more genuine loyalty to the club he grew up over 200 miles away in a season where he has started in the Premier League just ONCE, than the kid who was raised on Anfield’s doorstep and was only taught the Liverpool way. He would be forgiven if he was to look to force a move away from Liverpool this season. Why would he owe us anything?
Elliott was one of the hottest topics in the football world in 2019, becoming the youngest Premier League player ever at that time and had interest from the likes of Barcelona, PSG, RB Leipzig, and interestingly, Real Madrid.
I was close to going to Madrid, and then I think Liverpool came in. As soon as I heard that they came in, that was it. My heart was set on it just because, mainly, being a Liverpool fan.
-Harvey Elliott (2023)
The boy who grew up next to the English capital could have signed for Real Madrid at 16 years old, an accomplishment some of the best football players of all time dream to do for their whole careers. Yet, as it showed, a true Liverpool fan’s only dream is playing for Liverpool, playing at Anfield, winning the biggest trophies for the best club in the world. Loyalty isn’t just spoken with PR driven words, it is shown. He was not even contracted to the Reds before having a chance to be one of the six English players to have ever played for Real Madrid, just months after his GCSEs, and yet he showed where his true loyalty lied. After scoring against Lille in the Champions League this season, Elliott came out and squashed the rumours of a potential exit from the club: “I am not leaving. This is my team and my club. I'm a massive fan and we're in a great position so far this season.”
Harvey Elliott plays for the fans, wins for the fans, loses with the fans, and will wait for his chance to play for the club of his dreams because he knows he is capable. He doesn’t just want us to believe he is only dedicated to Liverpool Football Club, he has shown and continues to show his passion for the team, manager and club whenever he is given a chance. We are sitting on a gold mine with Elliott, an exemplary person for the academy, exactly the type of person any fan wants to watch play for their club, and he’s not a bad player either.