Trent Alexander-Arnold is only 25 years old, but he should be considered one of the greatest full-backs in football history, as evidenced by one telling statistic.
Halfway through his eighth season as part of Liverpool’s first team, Alexander-Arnold is now vice-captain of his boyhood club and is arguably showing his best form.
The number 66 has adapted his game as part of Jurgen Klopp’s new system, which like the previous one is designed specifically to get the best out of his right-back.
Such is Alexander-Arnold’s influence from a traditionally defensive role that he, along with Andy Robertson on the left, is widely seen as changing the perception of full-backs.
While Paolo Maldini, Ashley Cole, Javier Zanetti and Cafú stand out in their own fields, none of them produced the numbers that the Liverpool youth player has at the other end of the pitch.
In fact, according to French statisticians PopFoot, in the top five European leagues of the 21st century, Roberto Carlos is the only defender to have more goals and assists for club and country during a calendar year.
? The most decisive full-backs throughout a year in the 21st century (goals + assists) pic.twitter.com/pqrSphYh7L
– PopFoot (@ThePopFoot) December 23, 2023
With the top 10 going viral in a post on Twitter, Alexander-Arnold’s feat is made even more notable because he is the only player to appear three times.
Roberto Carlos directly contributed to 26 goals for Real Madrid and Brazil in 2003, one more than Alexander-Arnold managed for Liverpool and England in 2019.
PopFoot’s findings were released ahead of the Reds’ final two games of the year, meaning the West Derby native actually ranks third with his 24 goal contributions in 2023.
Dani Alves, with 23 in 2008 and 2011, is fourth and fifth, with Ricardo Rodríguez (2014), Leighton Baines (2014) and Jordi Alba (2021) all tied with Alexander-Arnold’s next best tally of 22 from 2021 .
David Alaba completes the top 10 with 21 combined goals for Bayern Munich and Austria in 2013.
It is an outstanding feat that highlights Alexander-Arnold’s value to Liverpool and how he has been strangely overlooked for England by Gareth Southgate.
And given that last season was largely seen as difficult for the right-back, who received widespread criticism from the English media, it is telling that his production in 2023 ranks third in the 21st century.
With his assist in Mohamed Salah’s first game against Arsenal, he also equaled Robertson for the most assists by any defender in Premier League history.
By far one of the best right backs not only in modern football, but also in the history of the sport.
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