Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has admitted to talkSPORT that he found it challenging playing in midfield for England against Andorra on Sunday night.
The full-back found it difficult to get on the ball and influence the game in the right areas, as Gareth Southgate experimented with his team choice. Alexander-Arnold believes it was right to try him in a new position, having frequently faced the question of playing there.
Alexander-Arnold had made each of his previous 13-caps at right-back or wide midfield, but had only featured once this year. And with Reece James and Kyle Walker impressing while the 22-year-old was out injured, his creativity could be useful in midfield.
However, Alexander-Arnold struggled to bring his Liverpool exploits to England’s core.
“It’s a new role for me, a bit different,” Alexander-Arnold said. “I think there’s been a lot of questions being asked; whether I can or cannot play in there, and a lot of opinions being voiced over the last few weeks. It was an experiment the manager wanted to try out.
“But it was difficult to get on the ball for me, I found it a lot more difficult to get on the ball in those spaces. But whether I’m starting in there or starting right-back, I think naturally I just find myself drifting into midfield, getting the ball and effecting the game.”
Alexander-Arnold added: “The only difference was I was starting in there and it was a bit more difficult to really find the space that I wanted to. The second half, we changed the system a little bit and I was able to find a lot more space and get time on the ball and get in positions that were fairly similar to playing in midfield anyway.”
Alexander-Arnold back to right-back for Liverpool and England?
Southgate’s trial of playing Liverpool full-back Alexander-Arnold in England’s midfield will likely be short-lived, as it was against Andorra. The Three Lions boss moved James into his engine room at the break, and returned Alexander-Arnold to the defensive line.
Now, Alexander-Arnold will likely remain a full-back for the foreseeable, knowing he can make a difference from the position. The Liverpool-born ace can also stay wide to deliver crosses and have less responsibility of covering ground in the centre.
Southgate, or Jurgen Klopp, could always look to experiment with Alexander-Arnold in midfield for England or Liverpool again. But with the Three Lions visiting Group I rivals Poland next, Wednesday will likely not be the time to gamble.
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