Emile Heskey exclusive: Why Liverpool star Alexander-Arnold struggles for England

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Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold needs to improve if he is to become Gareth Southgate’s number one pick for the England national team, Emile Heskey exclusively tells HITC.

It’s been said before.

When it comes to right-backs, England have a treasure trove of diamonds at their disposal.

So much so that a man who has tasted Champions League and Premier League glory in the last 16 months, shattering all manner of records along the way, is far from an automatic pick when the international break rolls around.

Alexander-Arnold played in just one of a trio of Three Lions games during October and struggled notably with the movement of Belgium’s fleet-footed forward line during the 2-1 Nations League triumph on Saturday, while failing to provide his usually pinpoint deliveries from the flank.

12 caps in, there is a nagging feeling that arguably the finest orthodox right-back in world football today is a little out-of-sorts when asked to play in a fine-tuned ‘wing-back role’.

And, as Heskey explains, the transition from one position to the other is not as straightforward as it might seem from an outside perspective.

“Trent is better in a four than in a wing-back. It’s interesting (to see) if he can adapt to a wing-back role,” says the former Liverpool icon.

“The funny thing with a wing-back is that you have different responsibilities (than you have as a right-back). With a back four, you actually know where you’re standing, your body shape…with a wing-back, it’s a little bit different.

“Your right-sided centre-back needs to be talking constantly, whether you need to be back in, whether you need to be higher…and at this moment in time I don’t think they’ve got this communication down (at England).”

Of course, plenty of column inches have been dominated by a different debate regarding Trent’s most suitable position.

Does his future lie not as a right-back or a wing-back at all – but as a string-pulling central midfielder?

“Trent was a central midfielder before (in Liverpool’s academy) so he’s got the ability to play in there,” he says.

“But I can’t see that happening. I can’t see why (Southgate) would want to, when you’ve got an abundance of midfielders, move somebody from right-back ahead of your own dominant midfielders.”

The challenge, for Alexander-Arnold and the increasingly under-fire England boss, must be to unleash those dazzling creative instincts all the while covering up for the odd defensive lapse.