An emotional Trent Alexander-Arnold said lifting the Premier League trophy at Anfield was the best day of his life and he “never felt so loved” after the fans’ change of heart towards him.

The defender was brought on for the start of the second half of the 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace and, unlike his last home appearance when he was booed after announcing his was leaving at the end of his contract, he was warmly welcomed.

By the time the Premier League trophy was presented after the full-time whistle fans had decided that was the time to cheer the academy graduate, who is ending a 20-year association with the club ahead of an expected move to Real Madrid.

Alexander-Arnold waved to the crowd and kissed the badge on his shirt, before being afforded a lot of time with the Premier League trophy on the lap of honour with the Kop roaring their approval when he hoisted it in front of them.

“I didn’t know what to expect stepping out at Anfield after what had happened a few weeks ago,” he told Sky Sports.

“I wanted to play for the club one more time and he (Arne Slot) trusted me to play. To get the reception I got means more than anything.

“I’ve played hundreds of games for the club but I’ve never felt so loved and cared for than today.

“Hand on my heart I hope one day the fans will be able to recognise the hard work and everything I have done for the team.

“There wasn’t a day, minute, second that I didn’t think about the team. Twenty years is a very long time time but I’ve loved every single minute of it. The ups and the downs.

“It’s been an honour and privilege to be part of.

“I’ll remember this day. It’s very special for me. It goes down as the best day of my life.”

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot praised the fans for the send-off they gave Alexander-Arnold after the previous acrimony.

“They were brilliant again today as they were throughout the whole season, as they were towards Trent,” he said.

“It also helped what an unbelievable half he played.

“The passes he played were, if you make a highlight (reel) out of this, it would take you three, four or five minutes.

“I am very happy for him and everyone in and around the club that things worked out the way they did.

“Everybody could see how difficult he had it after the game. That tells you how hard it is to leave a club like this. Ñ

“That’s all we can try to do, to make it so hard for the players to leave.”

A move to sign a replacement, although not a like-for-like option, is well advanced with a deal for Jeremie Frimpong, with Liverpool also pursuing a potential club-record £125million deal for his Bayern Leverkusen team-mate Florian Wirtz.

“I just want good players and ideally, you sign them as soon as you can,” Slot added.

“There is so much hard work already done behind the scenes this season to find out which targets we have and try to sign them.

“Radical changes you will not see because that would be a bit weird if we won the league.

“We need to improve with this team but if we are able to bring new players in, maybe you have to adapt to their qualities as well. But it will never be drastic.“

Palace boss Oliver Glasner, having won the FA Cup, still wants more.

“I think we have not reached our ceiling as a team, definitely not, but therefore it needs really hard work,” he said