Garth Southgate backs Trent Alexander-Arnold for his England midfield

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Gareth Southgate believes Trent Alexander-Arnold could play in the England midfield this summer. The Liverpool star is in the initial 33-man squad.

There was no guarantee that Gareth Southgate would pick Trent Alexander-Arnold to go to the Euros. He still might not – the England boss hasn’t slimmed down his 33-man squad to 26 yet.

Southgate didn’t pick the Liverpool right-back in March, of course. He left him at home, believing he wasn’t one of the best right-backs England had at that time.

It was absolute nonsense, in our minds. Alexander-Arnold isn’t just the best English right-back but the best right-back on the planet. No one does what he does and even his dip in form this season had him playing better than the rest.

But what is for certain is that the England snub lit a fire under Alexander-Arnold. He’s been absolutely sensational ever since and helped to drive Liverpool to third-place in the Premier League.

That form also earned him an England call-up. But does that mean Southgate sees the Scouser as his right-back for the tournament? Not necessarily.

In fact, Southgate believes Alexander-Arnold could play in his England midfield.

“I think there is no doubt he could [play in midfield],” said Southgate, per Sky Sports.

“Of course the difficulty is he hasn’t had the opportunity to do that since he was a younger player and that’s where he came through in Liverpool’s academy.

“He’s a fantastic passer of the ball and he has great passing vision. So he’s a playmaker from right-back, that’s kind of what he is. So why wouldn’t that lend itself at some point of his career to being in midfield?”

Alexander-Arnold for the England midfield?

It’s not a bad shout. Alexander-Arnold is a creative force and, as Southgate points out, did play there for the youth teams. Whether an international tournament is the time to try it out is another matter, however.

But really, England’s midfield has plenty of options in it – there’s no desperate need for Alexander-Arnold there. Instead, he should be a lock at right-back.

In fact, England typically play with a right-wingback. That position seems perfect for the Liverpool man, given the lightened defensive work and focus on creating going forward. Yet, apparently, Alexander-Arnold isn’t quite right for it.

Midfield or not, he should be starting for England. No English player has played as well as him over the last few months, other than arguably Jadon Sancho.

The question shouldn’t be ‘where could he fit in?’ but rather ‘where do we get the best of him?’. Because getting the best out of Alexander-Arnold is undoubtedly key for England.