Trent Alexander-Arnold signs £26m contract with Adidas after ending long-standing deal with Under Armour... with Liverpool star set to become one of the brand's biggest names alongside Jude Bellingham

Trent Alexander-Arnold has signed a £26million boot deal with adidas, joining the likes of England and Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham in signing up to the sportswear giant on a multi-year contract.

Liverpool's vice captain, who scored at Manchester City on Saturday, was spotted wearing a pair of old-school style, unreleased adidas Predator boots. It ends a long-standing deal with Under Armour, who Alexander-Arnold has been with since he broke through as a teenager. 

The American firm tried to keep Alexander-Arnold as one of their athletes - with him being the global face of their soccer campaigns - but the 25-year-old was tempted by adidas's lucrative offer, with them offering him a central role as one of the faces of their brand.

German manufacturers adidas see Alexander-Arnold as one of the biggest stars in football, with him likely to eventually take over from Virgil van Dijk as Liverpool captain. They will use him in a big marketing push.

Alexander-Arnold, who has worn Predators since he started in the academy aged six, is set to make a windfall of €30m for the commercial deal over the multi-year contract, and will get his own signature range with adidas that could provide further royalties for the England star.

In a promotional video, Alexander-Arnold explained that he always wore Adidas boots as a youngster and was inspired by Liverpool's incredible triumph in the 2005 Champions League final, when they came from 3-0 down to beat AC Milan on penalties.

Steven Gerrard, a key figure in Liverpool's incredible comeback against Milan, wore Predator boots. 

He said: 'Whenever I had the ball at my feet, I made sure I had those boots on. Istanbul was what really inspired me back then. That game, those players, the boots. Those boots never left my bag. I guess I always knew I'd be back someday.'