The formalities around the unveiling of Trent Alexander-Arnold lasted a day last Thursday and the next morning the 26-year-old was immediately working when he first trained in Real Madrid colors.
On Saturday Madrid traveled to Miami and in recent days the reality has started to settle for Alexander-Arnold here in the Sunshine State.
That feeling of fame and knowing any name in the building in Liverpool has disappeared. A time now to make new connections and throw themselves in a new culture. In the end it was he who chose the challenge – even though it meant how to deal with some skeletons.
His first interaction with Vinicius Junior, who joined the team directly from the team, in the Four Seasons Resort on Palm Beach, did the rounds on social media – mainly because of the struggles of Alexander -Arnold over the years against the Brazilian.
“You can't dribble past me anymore, I have had a lot against you in Liverpool,” he joked before they shared a warm embrace. Another clip showed the couple hand in hand during an exercise in the gym.
Perhaps the biggest compliment for Alexander-Arnold is that he has hit the ground here in all respects.
“It doesn't feel like he just came here,” an established Real Madrid -Bron told Mail Sport. “The way he has behaved last week has been exemplary.”
There is already a sense of connectedness. His understanding of Spanish last week in Valdebebas during the unveiling was not only for show and mail sport understands that the 26-year-old has learned the language in recent months.
“I have a decent basic level of Spanish, so I can have a decent conversation with the boys and they also have a very good understanding of English, so it's easy to communicate,” said Alexander-Arnold, who was the subject of the player of Real Madrid's player on their Palm Beach training basis on Monday. 'Watch him train' was the title of the YouTube video.
The Spanish Sport Outlet Diario said that Alexander-Arnold was 'physical, as a beast', while another insider in Madrid Trent described as 'as a talented child who has just moved to school' with the somewhat shy character that he approached these first few days under new head coach Xabi Alonso.
That does not mean that Alexander -Arnold has not had any confidence with the ball at his feet – it is rather a methodical effort from the Englishman to let his football talk and a desire not to be brash in a dressing room full of personalities.
On his Instagram, where he changed his handle in Just @Trent, he shared a seven -second clip that he defeated Thibaut Courtois, where he offered nothing more than a little smile.
He has already spoken about the difference in the quality of the training, which did little to please Liverpool fans on social media.
'The training sessions are of high quality and here the ball moves very quickly. It is different from what I am used to. “Said Trent. In all honesty, Dean Huijsen – a co -new arrival, for £ 50 million from Bournemouth – admitted the same to the press yesterday.
During Open Training in Gardens North County District Park on Sunday, Trent remained close to Jude Bellingham and was part of the 'Foreign Rondo'.
The emphasis in the first phases is very much to stay close to Bellingham, who is already one of the most influential players in Madrid's dressing room.
“It is easy to forget that Madrid was put off by British players for a while after the struggles of people like Michael Owen and Jonathan Woodgate,” says David Alvarez of the newspaper El Pais.
'They (Madrid) missed trust with English players and had doubts about their adaptation to Spain. Jude transformed that and Jude's success certainly has more confidence in Madrid. '
Alexander-Arnold sought Bellingham's advice during the entire process, which was understandably a loaded given the club he left his youth team.
Madrid has done everything to welcome him and his family. When club president Florentino Perez mentioned the girlfriend Estelle of Alexander-Arnold at the official unveiling, it was seen as a special warming up and after signing he received a number of gifts, including a replica of the stadium, a watch and a shirt with his name and 12 on the back.
Madrid does not believe in making new players to do initiations, so Alexander-Arnold has not yet been put under pressure to sing.
“They all put a lot of trouble, spoke with me, let me feel comfortable and made sure that all the questions I had – especially with the translations and things – they helped me a lot with everything,” he said.
If Alexander-Arnold and Huijsen early, on time for the World Cup club, indicators were of how serious Madrid treat this tournament, including paying £ 8.4 million to get the Englishman a month earlier than he walks in for free, there is further evidence.
Just take a walk around this complex, which until recently was only a local facility that could be hired by everyone.
Representatives of Madrid were visited several times in the past year when they transformed the site, installed a clubhouse on the one hand with changing rooms, an on-site gym and facilities for various other treatments.
On the other hand, stands have been installed and a glass lobby for Madrid civil servants to look away from the heat.
It is remarkable that they have only inspected the outfield in the fifth visit. The word of Marcelo Bielsa, who came here with Uruguay last summer, was enough with Bielsa who shook his hands and bows for the ground staff when he first came.
'Madrid is a completely different animal and we have learned that the past year,' Daniel Prieto, director of the deputy recent services at Palm Beach Gardens, at Mail Sport.
Perez, 78, was on Tuesday and given his alliance with Gianni Infantino, one of the driving forces behind the club World Cup has been.
Madrid, who won the tournament five times before the expansion in the current format, starts their campaign against Al Hilal in breaking 30-degree heat on Wednesday.
Both Alexander-Arnold and Huijsen will make their debut against the Saudi-Arab side, which Simone Inzaghi from Inter Milan broke immediately after he had lost the Champions League final and familiar faces in the former Premier League players Aleksandar Mitrovic, Ruben Neves and Kalidib.
“We spoke a lot with each other and we are both just excited to start,” said Huijsen. “Real Madrid wants to win everything, so of course we want to win this.”
As far as Alexander-Arnold is concerned, based on this first week, there is no feeling of homesickness yet.
“I enjoy the change, I enjoy being part of it,” he said. “It feels really good and I'm happy to be here.”
He may be out of his comfort zone after leaving a life of 20 years in Liverpool, but this is what he wanted. After all, change may not be the worst.