Trent Alexander-Arnold’s memories of his first Anfield game will always be crystal clear, not least because it was the night that he was baptised as a Liverpool fan and into the great European tradition of which he has already become a part.

Liverpool’s 19-year-old breakthrough star and fresh World Cup call-up is sitting on the terrace of the team’s Marbella hotel, on a break from warm-weather training, recalling his six-year-old self taking his seats at Anfield with his mum, Diane, and brothers, Tyler and Marcell. It was the 2005 Champions League quarter-final first leg against Juventus and he can remember Sami Hyypia’s first goal, Luis Garcia’s second and also something that everyone learns about English football’s most successful European team.

“It’s the atmosphere, the special feeling around Anfield, one of those special European nights,” he says. He watched the final in Istanbul round the television with the family. “One of those games of two halves. The first half was disappointing but, you know, miracles happen don’t they?”

At Liverpool it can indeed feel like anything is possible under the floodlights when the biggest prize is up for grabs, and so it will seem on Saturday night in Kiev when they go for European Cup No 6 against Real Madrid, the all-time powerhouse chasing No 13. But what about other miracles too, like a club that searches the world for talent discovering its brightest young thing a 10-minute walk away from the Melwood training ground? Alexander-Arnold was born and raised in Liverpool’s West Derby district, and on that night watching them beat Juventus it all came together.