Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has been quick to defend right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold after another less than impressive international break for England.
The Liverpool right-back didn’t make an appearance from the substitutes bench as Gareth Southgate’s side slumped to a 1-0 defeat to Italy and Nations League defeat, before being dropped from the matchday squad for the home game against Germany, despite being fully fit.
And Southgate later suggested that he was behind several in the pecking order, telling the media that with Kieran Trippier “I feel his all-round game is ahead [of Alexander-Arnold]”, while Chelsea’s Reece James appears to be first choice.
His boss at club level, however, had different ideas, hailing him as a World Class talent before urging people not to focus on his shortcomings and instead on what he can offer a side.
“I’d decide obviously differently, but I’m not in charge,” said Klopp.
“My point of view, it’s an easy pick. Whichever team I would coach in the moment, I would sign him because he is exceptional.”
“There are stories out there all the time that talk about him and say he’s not a good defender, but that’s not true,” the Liverpool boss added.
“A world-class talent gets judged by the one thing he is not as world class at as the other things. If he was not a good defender, he would not play.
“The skillset he has for being influential in possession is mad for a right-back.
“I don’t know if I ever saw a right-back like this - passing here, passing there, switching sides, taking free-kicks, corners, smart decisions, quick decisions”, Klopp continued.
“He is an outstanding football player in a situation where three other right-backs in this country are doing really well. We should not forget that.”
“So the view on that is how influential can Trent be? That is number one. What is he good at? That is how you judge a player.”
With Alexander-Arnold’s World Cup place now in doubt, he will be hoping to turn his Liverpool form around and begin reminding people of his strengths, rather than his weaknesses, in the coming weeks.
:quality(70)/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/xlmedia/75056cb2-70a2-47ac-a9bf-dc86877bc260.png)
