The England right-back has broken his silence on a difficult year that included jeers on his return to Anfield in November's Champions League defeat, with the word "rat" repeatedly daubed on a mural celebrating him nearby, an image a friend sent him before the game.
Alexander-Arnold, speaking to the Mirror, drew a clear line between stadium boos and what he called abuse that crosses into something darker.
"Abuse online and threats made via social DMs or in other ways are a sad part of life in 2026 if you're in the public eye. I choose to keep those things away from me because they don't feel real.
"I can rationalise that by knowing it's not representative of a football club I love, LFC, and it's not representative of my home city."
On the reaction inside the ground itself, he was more accepting.
"The booing and disappointment from Liverpool supporters is something I'm absolutely able to shoulder. I can understand it, in my own way. But I hope one day there'll be a degree of understanding about the decisions I wanted to make around my own life.
"It hurts because of how much I've put into the club over the course of 20 years and the sacrifices I made for the club during that period. So of course it hurts, but I understand the disappointment. I even understand anger expressed through booing."
The Real Madrid defender, who joined the Liverpool academy at six and went on to make 259 appearances for the club, said the wider issue of online pile-ons needed action beyond what he could control himself.
"On threats to people via social media, social media pile-ons and the impact they can have on people's mental health, I think that's a proper topic. But it's for governments and tech companies to solve. I've kind of protected myself from that as much as possible, but I get that for some people it's not possible."
Despite everything, Alexander-Arnold insists his affection for Liverpool remains undimmed.
"I still watch every game. I support them. I want to see them do well. I enjoy watching them, and there will always be a place in my heart for Liverpool, no matter what. It is home to me. It's the place that gave me the opportunities to go and do what I've done and I will always love it. It's always a place that I'll call home."
He added that face-to-face encounters with Liverpool supporters since his move have told a different story to what he sees online.
"Not a single interaction I've had in person reflects the sort of stuff you get online or via social media. This isn't me saying everyone in Liverpool is fine with me leaving the club. Of course they aren't. But that's very different from the stuff that goes beyond the football. It's why I don't allow myself to get too down about it and I don't dwell on it."