Jamie Carragher believes that Liverpool fans are right to feel let down by Trent Alexander-Arnold after he announced his decision to leave the club at the end of the season.
The Reds legend queried the logic in moving to Real Madrid - where Alexander-Arnold is expected to be playing his football next term - after coming through the academy and winning trophies at a club like Liverpool.
Carragher, who is the second-highest appearance maker in the Reds' history, accepted the Spanish giants' position at the top of the football pyramid but argued that home-grown stars like Alexander-Arnold risk their 'legacy' for 'gains in the short-term'.
'It is just how it is,' he wrote in The Telegraph. 'Because supporters will differentiate between those perceived to be putting the club first in the ongoing fight to take on the superpower of Real Madrid, and those who were accused of thinking about their own career.'
On Monday, the 26-year-old finally ended months of speculation surrounding his future when he announced that he would not be renewing his contract beyond the end of the season.
'After 20 years at Liverpool Football Club, now is the time for me to confirm that I will be leaving at the end of the season,' Alexander-Arnold wrote in a statement on social media. 'This is easily the hardest decision I’ve ever made in my life.
'I know many of you have wondered why or been frustrated that I haven’t spoken about this yet, but it was always my intention to keep my full focus on the team’s best interests, which was securing No.20.
'This club has been my whole life – my whole world - for 20 years. From the Academy right through until now, the support and love I have felt from everyone inside and outside of the club will stay with me forever. I will forever be in debt to you all.'
Many Reds fans have reacted angrily to the imminent departure of the most prominent and successful 'Scouser in our team', while those outside of the club have voiced more sanguine opinions on the situation.
Often, Alexander-Arnold's years of service and trophy haul - that includes a pair of Premier League titles - are cited as justification for why Reds fans should give the defender their blessing.
But Carragher pushed back on this narrative and insisted that Liverpool fans are right to feel hurt by the departure, especially when the side is successful and looks well placed to win more major honours.
'Players are loved even more when they genuinely mean it when they say they do not want to play for anyone else,' he added. 'If that image of the home-grown talent living the dream is an illusion, people feel let down.
'[Ryan] Giggs and [Paul] Scholes will always be adored at Man United as the 'Class of ’92' members who never gave any thought to leaving, while David Beckham is looked upon as someone who had a career plan and was brilliant enough to follow it.
'There is no right or wrong to that. Different players have different characteristics and ambitions. Liverpool fans did not think Alexander-Arnold saw his path in the same way as [Michael] Owen and Beckham because he said his dream was to captain the club and follow his hero [Steven] Gerrard.
'Fans are obviously going to be upset.'
Mail Sport was the first English newspaper to report that Real Madrid were confident of securing Alexander-Arnold way back in December – and not much has changed along the way.
It is understood that the contract is not officially signed yet but will be soon, with the England international set to join his good pal and Three Lions team-mate Jude Bellingham in the Spanish capital.
Fans have received Alexander-Arnold with warmth despite all the noise about his future this season but it will be intriguing to see how Anfield reacts on Sunday when Liverpool host Arsenal in what will be his penultimate home game.
Alexander-Arnold was free to open talks with Real and other overseas clubs on New Year’s Day after letting his Reds deal run down.
Sporting director Richard Hughes' first call in the job was to Alexander-Arnold's representatives and the final offer would have made him the best-paid full back in the Premier League.
Liverpool are satisfied they tried their very best to tempt him to stay.
Real will now seek to sign him in time for the FIFA Club World Cup in June with a 10-day window for transfers.
That will likely require some compensation and Liverpool’s cooperation – which is not guaranteed – but the Spanish club will try.
Manager Carlo Ancelotti is widely expected to leave the club this summer with Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso the hot favourite to take over from the Italian.
Alexander-Arnold joined Liverpool aged six and has played 352 times for his boyhood club. He is the vice-captain and has won every trophy he can – the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup.