Why Alexander-Arnold Was Denied the Number 66 Shirt at Real Madrid

• Trent Alexander-Arnold has been unveiled as a Real Madrid player ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup
• The England international swapped his iconic No.66 for the No.12 shirt, due to strict squad number rules
• The right-back also featured a new name on his jersey instead of his surname

Trent Alexander-Arnold is set to sport the No.12 jersey at Real Madrid, complete with a new name printed on the back.

The 26-year-old was officially unveiled on Thursday following a £10 million transfer from Liverpool.

Although he was initially set to join on a free, Real Madrid opted to pay a fee to ensure his availability for the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup.

Why Alexander-Arnold will not wear number 66 at Real Madrid

Alexander-Arnold was forced to leave behind his trademark No.66 jersey as he begins a new chapter at Real Madrid.

Due to La Liga regulations, first-team players are only permitted to wear numbers between 1 and 25, with 13 and 25 specifically allocated to goalkeepers, making his beloved 66 off-limits.

The England star will, therefore, don the No.12 shirt for Los Blancos next season, following in the footsteps of club legend Marcelo, who wore the number during a decorated 16-year spell.

When Alexander-Arnold signed, only two outfield numbers between one and 25 were available—12 and 18—and the England international chose number 12, The BBC reported.

The legacy of Real Madrid’s no.12 shirt

Real Madrid’s No.12 jersey, now worn by Trent Alexander-Arnold, has a rich legacy at the Bernabeu.

Most recently, it was used by French midfielder Eduardo Camavinga before he switched to No.6 following Nacho Fernandez's exit.

Before that, the number was famously worn by Brazilian icon Marcelo for 16 years, during which he collected 25 major trophies, while former Bolton Wanderers defender Ivan Campo also donned it during his time in Madrid.

Why Alexander-Arnold won’t use his surname on his Real Madrid shirt

Real Madrid have confirmed that Trent Alexander-Arnold will wear "Trent" on the back of his shirt instead of his surname, per Mirror Football.

Alexander-Arnold has also updated his Instagram handle from @trentarnold66 to simply @trent.

Speaking at his first Real Madrid press conference, he explained the change:

“People call me Alexander, Arnold, Alex, and Trent. There’s a lot going on, so I thought let’s make it easy.”

Why Alexander-Arnold wore No.66 at Liverpool

The Englishman first wore the No.66 shirt when he made his Liverpool debut in an EFL Cup match against Tottenham in October 2016.

The number held no special meaning for him; it was randomly assigned to him as a youth player coming through the academy.

Despite breaking into the first team and becoming the club’s starting right-back, he chose to keep the No.66 as a symbol of his journey and roots at Anfield.

Alexander-Arnold speaks fluent Spanish during his unveiling

Meanwhile, Alexander-Arnold in an address at his unveiling, described joining Real Madrid as a "dream come true" and "huge responsibility" as he addressed the audience in Spanish at his presentation on Thursday.

"Thank you so much to President Florentino Perez and Real Madrid for this opportunity," he said.

"Signing for a club like Real Madrid doesn't happen every day. It's a dream come true. I'm very happy and proud to be here. I'm eager to show the club and the fans what I can do."

Alexander-Arnold joins exclusive Englishmen to join Real Madrid

YEN.com.gh earlier reported that Alexander-Arnold becomes the seventh Englishman in recent times to wear the iconic white shirt of Los Blancos.

Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.

Source: AFP