Gary Lineker has insisted that England are missing out by not picking Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Taking to Twitter during England’s 1-1 draw with Germany last night, Lineker lamented that fact that the Liverpool man was consigned to the bench
“England trail and continue to struggle to pass the ball to each other and create anything, while the best passer in English football remains on the bench,” wrote the pundit. “That would be Trent Alexander-Arnold if you weren’t sure.”
The less football that Trent plays whilst away from Liverpool the better really. But Gareth Southgate’s use, or lack of it, of the 23-year-old is nothing short of bizarre.
Trent overlooked again
Southgate had previously claimed that Alexander-Arnold would be used sparingly during the June internationals.
That’s all well and good, but he played an hour against Hungary on Saturday evening. With respect to Hungary, who beat England, surely you’d want Trent on against the better sides?
Most coaches surely would. Southgate isn’t most coaches though. He clearly sees other options ahead of Liverpool’s number 66 in the pecking order.
That’s his call of course. But England are generally insipid to watch and, as Lineker points out, often look short of creative ideas.
Trent posted the most assists for an English player in the Premier League last season. He’s also notoriously creative and risk-taking with his passes. If there’s one player who can create something from nothing in this England team, it’s him.
Still, despite all the evidence and his good displays in training, Southgate chooses to overlook him.
After a will-he-won’t-he scenario in regards to taking Alexander-Arnold to the Euros last summer, Trent eventually missed out through injury.
It’s a strange set of circumstances, but at this rate, the best right-back in world football could be in danger of not being at the World Cup in November. At the very least, he probably won’t be starting.
Time to sort that out, Gareth.