England manager Gareth Southgate has made an unexpected admission about Trent Alexander-Arnold ahead of the World Cup.
Liverpool’s star right-back has struggled to break into the England first-team in recent years, with right-back competition fierce.
After missing both the Italy and Germany games in the last two weeks, it appears that England manager Gareth Southgate does not consider him a first-team option.
This week, the topic has been all over the news and social media, and it appears increasingly likely that the Premier League winner will not compete in the Qatar World Cup.
Glen Johnson on Trent:
"He’s one of the best players in the Premier League. What’s happened is that he has set the bar so high, that any time he’s not at his best, people are desperate to jump down his throat." #lfc [goal] pic.twitter.com/HKy8FDyrKF
— Anfield Watch (@AnfieldWatch) September 27, 2022
Southgate on Trent
Southgate explained his reasoning for not playing TAA and who is currently ahead of him in the right-back position.
“We didn’t need the left-back cover against Italy the other night.”
But we did against Germany because of the way we went with the team — so we needed Chilly (Ben Chilwell) on the bench and we had Kieran, who I believe has a better all-around game than Trent at the moment.
“I’ve had long conversations with all of them and have been very clear with them about where they stand, what they need to improve on, and what they’re doing well, so they know where they stand.”
The reaction from the football world
Many pundits, ex-players, and fans have spoken out about the issue, with Gary Lineker claiming Southgate is overlooking “England’s most creative footballer.”
Trent should retire from international duty until a new manager takes charge of England,’ according to Gabby Agbonlahor.
With Kyle Walker, Reece James, and Kieran Trippier all seemingly ahead of him, it’s going to be difficult for the 23-year-old to break into the team, especially since two of those players were key players in the World Cup in 2018 and the Euros in 2021.
After being left out of matchday squads for the past two weeks, it’s unlikely that one of the world’s best right-backs will be seen.
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