“This is what true professionalism really looks like”-When Trent Alexander-Arnold’s Spanish teacher opened up on his prepartion for Real Madrid speech

Sara Duque, the Spanish language teacher of Real Madrid right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, lauded the attitude and determination of the player to learn a foreign language from scratch.

The 27-year-old arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu this summer on a free transfer after seeing out his deal at Liverpool. Alexander-Arnold wooed Madridistas by addressing them in Spanish during his unveiling in June.

Duque hailed the Englishman's desire to 'start from zero' and reach a level of fluency where he could address fans in Spanish during his one-minute long speech following his unveiling.

“5 months, that’s all it took, but it wasn’t easy," Duque said in October (as per Madrid Xtra). Trent didn’t just learn Spanish. He chose to start from zero, to sound imperfect, to keep showing up, day by day. "When he stood on that stage in Madrid and spoke with calm, clarity, and heart, it wasn’t about fluency. It was about respect, courage, and a genuine desire to belong."

Duque continued:

"As his language coach, that moment meant everything. Because what I saw wasn’t just a player speaking another language, it was a person growing beyond himself. In football, words can build trust, connection, identity. And this is what true professionalism really looks like.”

Alexander-Arnold has played just 11 times across competitions - contributing an assist - in what has been an injury-plagued campaign. His latest setback is a 'muscular injury to the rectus anterior quadriceps in his left leg' which has kept him out of action since the start of the month.

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What's next for Real Madrid?

Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso

Real Madrid are in the midst of a decent season, overcoming a bit of a blip to close out the year with three wins across competitions, including one in La Liga, where they trail leaders Barcelona (45) by three points after 18 games.

Xabi Alonso's side return to action after the winter break with a home league game against Real Betis on Sunday (December 4). Five days later, they lock horns with cross-town rivals Atletico Madrid in the Supercopa de Espana semi-final.

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Co. return to action in the UEFA Champions League league stage with a home game against AS Monaco on January 20. They are seventh in the 36-team standings.

Edited by Bhargav