Ever met one of your football heroes? I have and honestly, it was one of those moments where your brain screams, but your mouth tries to act normal. Spoiler: mine failed spectacularly.
It all started when my leader (shout out to Juan!) told me I’d get the chance to meet Trent Alexander-Arnold. Yes, that Trent. Living in Leicester, meeting anyone even remotely famous is rare. And since I’m not a Leicester City fan, bumping into Jamie Vardy or James Maddison would probably just result in me walking past them like those people on the street that want 5 minutes of your time.
But Trent? That was different. I’m a huge Real Madrid fan and a Trent fan. He was doing an Amazon Prime interview ahead of the Real Madrid vs Liverpool match, and the plan was to be at the Real Madrid training centre by 10:30 a.m.
Now, if you know me, you know I get lost. Constantly. So I decided to go with someone from my class. Mistake number one: never trust Anton. Somehow we ended up taking the scenic route, exiting the station in the wrong direction, and wandering a bit before finally arriving. By the end, I was half-expecting to stumble into another country.
Anyway, we finally made it and there I was, in full fangirl mode while everyone else acted like this was just another Tuesday. Getting inside wasn’t easy (you can’t just stroll into a football training centre), but once we did, we waited in the hallway while the producers set everything up. And the weather? Classic UK: freezing, rainy, and windy. Basically, I’d swapped Leicester for Madrid and Madrid had said, “Nope, you’re still in England, deal with it.”
Then came the twist: the producers decided the original room was too small. So, where would we film? Outside. On the pitch seats. In the cold. My brain briefly considered staging a dramatic faint. But there I was, standing like a good journalist, silently screaming inside.
So there we were, me, a few people from my class, the crew, and the presenter, trying to look calm while my fingers slowly turned into icicles. I spent most of the time staring across the pitch, hoping to spot players. I saw Rüdiger stroll out and even caught David Alaba charging his car from the backseat. He definitely noticed us. The subtle “please stop staring” vibes were real.
We waited for about two hours. Two long, cold hours. I was beyond jealous knowing Trent was somewhere warm and cosy while I was slowly becoming one with the pitch. But footballers are fashionably late, right?
Finally, Trent arrived and wow. I went completely speechless. Cameras do not do him justice. The only surprise? He wasn’t as tall as I expected and I’m tall, so that was… interesting.
The interview lasted around twenty minutes, but from where I was standing, I couldn’t hear a thing. Towards the end, the presenter started asking “most likely to” questions, and it was clear Trent wasn’t thrilled. Lots of “I don’t knows” and polite smiles, bless him.
When it wrapped up, we got to take photos. I had to tell Juan to rotate the phone because, bless him, he was taking pictures like a dad discovering Instagram. Trent has a beautiful smile. I’d brought a Real Madrid shirt for Trent to sign, and while everyone else hovered quietly, I actually got to talk to him.
I had maybe thirty seconds. And what did my brain choose to say? “I really like your accent.” Smooth. But true, his voice is genuinely soothing. He smiled and said, “Thanks, no one’s ever said that to me.” I added, “It’s Jamie Carragher’s fault people don’t like a Scouse accents!” He smiled. My fangirl heart went into overdrive.
Looking back, the whole experience reminded me why I’m doing this course. Sports journalism isn’t just about meeting footballers. It’s about travelling, asking the right questions, and telling stories that make people feel like they’re part of the club. But moments like this? They make all the long, cold bits worth it.
Sports journalism is competitive. But standing there that day, freezing, nervous, and completely starstruck, I realised something important: I can do this. I belong in this space. And if I can survive meeting Trent without fainting or dying from frost, I can survive pretty much anything.âš˝
