Trent Alexander-Arnold picks new name and shirt number as No. 66 banned at Real Madrid

Trent Alexander-Arnold will wear a new shirt number at Real Madrid this season after his move from Liverpool.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is set to don the No. 12 shirt at Real Madrid, as La Liga rules prevent him from wearing his customary 66 that he sported throughout his Liverpool career, and he’ll also have a new name on the back of it. The 26-year-old England star will officially be unveiled as a Real Madrid player on Thursday after sealing a £10million transfer deal.

He was initially set to join on a free transfer, however, Los Blancos shelled out a significant fee to enable the Reds academy graduate to play for them in the FIFA Club World Cup instead of joining at the end of the month. Alexander-Arnold has worn the same No. 66 during his tenure at Anfield, but he can’t wear that same number in Spain.

This is due to La Liga regulations stipulating that first-team players must wear a shirt number between one and 25, with Nos. 13 and 25 specifically reserved for goalkeepers.

Various reports have now confirmed that Alexander-Arnold will wear No. 12 for his new club this coming season, with the defender also set to have his first name, Trent, on the back of his shirt rather than his surname.

Alexander-Arnold also ditched the number 66 from his Instagram handle, now going by @trent, following his six-year deal with the Spanish giants.

The full-back faced a wave of criticism from Liverpool supporters after deciding not to extend his stay with the Reds. Despite the controversy, he received a warm send-off during his last game at Anfield.

The No. 12 was worn for over a decade by former Bernabeu favourite Marcelo; the Brazilian left-back made the number his own during a trophy-laden 16-year spell in the Spanish capital.

Eduardo Camavinga then wore the number for a brief period before switching to the No. 6 last season.