Stan Collymore has claimed that Trent Alexander-Arnold is “too good to ignore” but admits he is unsure if the Liverpool star will be included in Gareth Southgate’s plans for the impending World Cup.
The England manager selected the 23-year-old for recent clashes with Italy and Germany, but he did not play a single minute in any of the Nations League clashes.
Southgate has recently spoken out about the situation surrounding the Liverpool full-back and it is now unclear if the scouser will be part of the Three Lions squad heading to Qatar in November.
The ex-Red Collymore has weighed in on the situation and while he understands aspects of the England manager’s thinking, he urged the scouser to continue to work hard and bid for his chance.
“When you are called up to your national team, it is still the peak,” the ex-Rojo wrote in his column for Caught offside. “I know some people would say that the Champions League is the most prestigious competition, but given the fact that it only happens once every four years, the World Cups, for me, are still the pinnacle.
“However, one player who has come close but failed to progress internationally has been Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold.
“Throughout my career I played Gareth Southgate twice, once in Crystal Palace’s youth setup and once at Aston Villa where he was my skipper, and I can say for sure that he likes round players for youngsters. round holes.
“When it comes to full-backs, Southgate’s first priority is to defend and then attack and unfortunately for Alexander-Arnold, as we all know, his game is the complete opposite.
“Alexander-Arnold is going to give his coach a lot of attacking and creative options, but the biggest concern for him is his ability to drop back into his own goal, and that has been the case for him while playing at a very good level. Liverpool team, so perhaps you can understand Southgate’s caution.
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“I think in Southgate’s mind, he’s worried that people like John Stones and Maguire, who aren’t exactly in the shape of their lives, would come under more defensive pressure if Alexander-Arnold was on the right side of the baseline.
“However, my advice to Alexander-Arnold would be to keep going. Keep showing up every time you’re called and wait for your chance, because it will come.
“Yes, it is very unlikely that he will play in the World Cup in Qatar this winter, but he cannot throw in the towel. He’s only 23 years old, so even after this year’s tournament, he’ll still be at least two years older. World Cups ahead.
“Whether it’s Southgate who gives him that chance or another manager, he’ll get it and when he does, I hope he’ll take it with both hands because he’s too good to ignore.”
Due to his incredible consistency in recent seasons, Alexander-Arnold has been recognized as one of the best right backs in the world.
Southgate experimented playing the Reds star in midfield during an international match last year, which greatly baffled Jurgen Klopp.
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Trent certainly has the ability to play in central midfield, but with such strong performances in recent seasons, there has been no need to consider a change in position for the 23-year-old.
Of course, he has started the campaign slowly, like many of his Liverpool team-mates, but there is no need to overreact.
His defensive ability has always been questioned since he burst onto the scene in 2016, but he earned his reputation for his world-class crossing and passing ability and the work he does for the team going forward.
Southgate appears to rank Chelsea’s Reece James, Manchester City’s Kyle Walker and Newcastle’s Kieran Trippier ahead of Alexander-Arnold, so he faces a real challenge to be named in the Qatar squad.
While it would be disappointing to see Trent out of the England squad, it would reduce his risk of injury and mean he would be in excellent shape to attack the second half of our season when the Premier League resumes on Boxing Day. .
EOTK Insider Opinion: Trent will never win for England as long as Gareth Southgate is manager
