Trent Alexander-Arnold was on target for England against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Monday.
Gareth Southgate is well aware of the untapped potential within Trent Alexander-Arnold, making him one of England’s most intriguing talents in recent years.
While Alexander-Arnold has undoubtedly flourished at the club level, contributing significantly to Liverpool’s recent successes, his journey with the Three Lions has been marked by frustration.
Since his England debut against Costa Rica at Elland Road in 2018, the 25-year-old has earned just 23 additional caps.
Although he made a solitary appearance during England’s journey to the semi-finals in Russia, his absence from Euro 2020 due to a thigh injury further hindered his international progress.
Even in the 2022 World Cup squad in Qatar, Alexander-Arnold saw limited action, making just one substitute appearance against Wales in the group stage.
At times, Alexander-Arnold has seemed peripheral within the England setup.
However, his transition into a midfield role at Liverpool has elevated his game to new heights.
A trend evident in his standout performance in Monday’s 3-0 warm-up victory against Bosnia & Herzegovina at St James’ Park.
Alexander-Arnold’s noteworthy display, crowned by a stunning goal, suggests that he may be rediscovering his passion for representing England.
WHAT GARETH SOUTHGATE SAID ABOUT TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD?
Despite Alexander-Arnold’s impressive display in midfield, Gareth Southgate has suggested that his transition into this new role will necessitate a period of adaptation to the positional demands.
Southgate said via the Mirror: “Firstly, he is enjoying playing in an England shirt.
“He has had a difficult international career in that because of the strength in depth in the area, we haven’t always been able to give him the amount of football that his talent deserves.
“But we have always been trying to find a way to do that and I think he knows that and he appreciates that so it was lovely to see him score, have that moment and play with that confidence for England.
“We were very pleased, it is a role he is discovering and he is hungry to learn and has been since I talked to him about playing it a year or so ago and equally what we saw in the last half an hour is also an important option for us as well.
“We are going to have different challenges in this tournament and we are going to have to have different ways of solving problems that teams pose us.”
