‘I don’t actually know’ – Alexander-Arnold unsure about his best position but excited by midfield ‘evolution’
Trent Alexander-Arnold has admitted he doesn’t know what his best position is but the opportunity to show what he can do from a central midfield position is something that excites him.The 25-year-old, who has won every major trophy possible with his boyhood club Liverpool, has reinvented the full-back role in recent years with his world-class […]
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Trent Alexander-Arnold has admitted he doesn’t know what his best position is but the opportunity to show what he can do from a central midfield position is something that excites him.
The 25-year-old, who has won every major trophy possible with his boyhood club Liverpool, has reinvented the full-back role in recent years with his world-class passing ability.
Towards the back end of last season and during the early stages of the new campaign, however, the England international has been deployed in an inverted role by Jurgen Klopp which sees him step into midfield when his side are in possession – a tactic that allows our No. 66 to ‘control the tempo’ of games.
“When the manager showed me the inverted role, I saw it as an opportunity to show I can play in the middle of the pitch,” the Scouser said (as quoted by 90min). “You might get one game, it doesn’t work and you play the rest of your career at right-back. There’s nothing wrong with that.
“But I felt there is more to me playing in the centre of the pitch and saw that as my opportunity to show people what I’m capable of doing. I felt I could dictate and control from right-back, but this was another dimension to my game. How could I evolve? That was what I was searching for. An evolution for me.
“I don’t actually know what my best position is, though. It depends on the set-up. For Liverpool, as a full-back I have the freedom to get into central areas and to create from the right-half space and get down the touchline and put crosses in, create chances and get assists over the last five or six years.
“The set-up at England is different for what the manager wants from full-backs. Although technically it’s two different positions on the pitch, I think both systems allow me to get in the same positions. Having a licence to get the ball, dictate the game, control the tempo is the most important thing for a player like me. It’s not so much if I’m a full-back or midfielder. I’m a player who needs to get on the ball and wants to orchestrate the whole game.”
Alexander-Arnold started for England at right back against Australia on Friday night but was stepping into midfield at every opportunity, however.
He played a huge role in the only goal of the game as Ollie Watkins secured victory for the Three Lions at Wembley.
The Academy graduate seems to impress no matter where he plays but there have been constant question marks surrounding his defensive ability.
He gets a lot a more stick than he deserves but his quality going forward is simply too good to ignore.
It’ll be interesting to see how our German tactician decides to fit Trent into his starting XI moving forward but at the moment there’s not much competition at right back.
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