Trent Alexander-Arnold non-negotiable clear as Liverpool star finally gets Pep Guardiola chance
By the end of England's Nations League victory over Finland, Lee Carsley could hardly hide his excitement at what he had seen from Trent Alexander-Arnold. So much so that while the majority of those of England persuasion were keen to hail Harry Kane as his brace sealed a 2-0 win on his 100th appearance for the Three Lions, interim head coach Carsley instead made a beeline for Alexander-Arnold.
Of course, this was a night that undoubtedly belonged to Kane as he became just the 10th player in English history to earn a century of caps for the men's team, joining an illustrious list that includes names such as Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney, Bobby Moore and Sir Bobby Charlton. But when the dust settles and the emotion is extracted from England's September internationals, it will be the performances of Alexander-Arnold that dominate discussions and, potentially, act as a key feature of Carsley's campaign to become the permanent head coach.
Let's be clear, if England are to build on the foundations of the Gareth Southgate era and go one better than two second-place finishes at the 2020 and 2024 European Championships, then the regular inclusion of Alexander-Arnold is non-negotiable. That was stressed by his performances against the Republic of Ireland and Finland, with the 25-year-old ranking first for the most forward passes, passes into the penalty and chances created across both games.
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It is no wonder, then, that he returned to Merseyside with two Man of the Match awards in his hand luggage. Remarkably, though, Tuesday's outing against Finland was just his 31st appearance for the Three Lions since he made his debut in a friendly match against Costa Rica on the eve of the 2018 World Cup.
That's because despite being front and centre of a golden generation at Anfield as Liverpool won the Premier League and reached three Champions League finals between 2018 and 2022, Alexander-Arnold's England career to date has been a tale of mismanagement and unexplainable neglect. Take this summer for example, the European Championship finals in Germany were supposed to be the making of Liverpool's No.66 as he was billed as someone who could help England finally strike a balance in midfield.
However, that was until Gareth Southgate's risk-averse approach saw the 25-year-old's tournament effectively ended in just the second game as he was substituted just shy of the hour mark against Denmark. Southgate's failure to call upon Alexander-Arnold in the latter stages of the tournament - especially in the 2-1 final defeat to Spain as England lacked intuition - left even former Manchester United defender Gary Neville scratching his head as he blasted the decision to repeatedly leave Alexander-Arnold on the bench as "illegal".
Even after all that he has achieved at Liverpool since making his debut in late 2016, which includes becoming the youngest-ever player to feature in back-to-back Champions League finals, recognition on the international stage is something that has eluded Alexander-Arnold up until this point. "His quality on the ball is unreal, isn't it? If Pep [Guardiola] was the manager of England he would play him every week," said Paul Scholes. "But someone like Gareth, who is not as attacking, will be thinking, 'He might give the ball [away].'"
But as Carsley prepares to use the next four games as his audition to land the Three Lions job permanently, Alexander-Arnold will work with a modern, forward-thinking manager for the first time in his international career; someone who is ready to try and turn the nearly-men of the Southgate era into something more significant. And he is primed for a starring role.
"We played Trent in a little bit of a different position tonight," said Carsley after Tuesday's win. "I think you've seen from Trent an array of passing; the ability to control the game from a deeper area; and get into forward areas as well. But that's not a surprise, I've seen Trent do that for Liverpool this season and throughout his career."
Sure this season is still in its infancy, but it could prove to be one of the most exciting for Alexander-Arnold as he's finally afforded both the trust and responsibility to replicate his Liverpool form on the international stage.
Indeed, Tuesday night at Wembley belonged to Harry Kane. But there is no reason why Alexander-Arnold can't join him on England's list of centurions one day. He has the talent to do so, and Carsley's reaction at full-time reinforced that.