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England manager Gareth Southgate raised a lot of dust when he excluded Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold from his latest squad for the Three Lions. He instead opted to call up Kyle Walker, Reece James and Kieran Tripper.
Considering that the Liverpool man has performed at a very high level for the last few years, this decision did not sit well with many. However, Southgate defended his decision saying:
“With Trent we’ve got some players who’ve played exceptionally well for England in the past and are playing well for their clubs and that position on the pitch is one the competition is really high,”
“We’re looking at performances with club and performances with us. Reece James was exceptional with us in the autumn. Kieran has been consistently good for us. He’s had a very good season with Atletico, I know he’s missed a period but it’s no surprise that [manager Diego] Simeone put him straight back in. And Kyle Walker has also had an exceptional season.
“We could’ve picked four full-backs but the reality is if we’re not going to put them on the pitch that’s not going to be a fulfilling experience to come and we’re not going to be able to get on the training ground much anyway.
He added:
“The challenge now for Trent is to continue the form he’s starting to show at his club. I feel like I’ve got to look at myself with Trent: I don’t feel he’s hit that level he’s hit for Liverpool for England and the other players have. There’s an element of me having to look at how can we do that moving forward, because we know some of the qualities he brings.”
Considering that this is the final international break before the European Championship, there is a high possibility that Alexander-Arnold might not make the squad for the Euros.
This is far from ideal for the Liverpool man, and the onus is on him to take his manager's words as a challenge to rediscover his best form.
Can a good end to the season with Liverpool lead to Trent Alexander-Arnold's recall to the England squad?
Liverpool have had a disastrous season so far. However, on a personal level, perhaps no player has seen a drop-off in performance as steep as Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The 22-year-old has arguably been the standout right-back in the world in the last few years. His pristine deliveries and bombarding runs forward have been integral to the Reds' successes.
However, this season has seen the England international struggle to replicate his best form, which is surprising considering that he broke the Premier League record for most assists in a single season last term.
Despite his current struggles, Alexander-Arnold remains a player of the highest quality, and there is no doubt that he has the ability to turn his season around at Liverpool.
Whether this will lead to his reintegration back to the England fold in time for the Euros remains to be seen.
