Ex- England striker Emile Heskey has claimed he would start Trent Alexander-Arnold for the Three Lions opening World Cup game against Iran - but drop him for the next clash against the USA.
The Liverpool right-back has struggled to recreate the kind of form the Anfield faithful sees on a regular basis when representing his country, but boss Gareth Southgate has named in the 26-man squad and is likely to use him at some stage.
Just how much game-time Alexander-Arnold earns out in Qatar remains to be seen, but Heskey has shed light on how he would use the 24-year-old if he was steering the ship for England. In a Mirror Football exclusive, via Gambling.com, the former Reds forward revealed how many minutes he thinks the right-back will earn and when.
"That’s a difficult one. It’s horses for courses really. When you look at Trent, a lot of focus has been on his defensive play, but if you’re playing against a team where you want to be very offensive and aggressive then he’s your man," Heskey claimed.
“If you’re going to be seeing a lot of the ball, he’s someone with an eye for a pass. He’s an assist king, he can switch the play fantastically well. But if you’re not expecting to have the large majority of the ball, his defensive offering doesn’t match up to his attacking ability."
DON'T MISS:RTE's Tony O'Donoghue interrupted by police while filming in Qatar ahead of World Cup
Erin McGregor hopes son Harry will one day say 'mammy' in heartbreaking admission as she opens up on family
Roy Keane's hilarious response when asked if he'll be cheering for England at World Cup
Heskey went on to discuss how Alexander-Arnold should see his first game come at the soonest possible opportunity against Iran due to the expected flow of the game, but should take his place on the bench on match-day two against the USA.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Should Gareth Southgate start Trent Alexander-Arnold against Iran? Comment below
"Like I say, it depends on the opposition, it’s horses for courses. When it comes to Iran, I’d like to think he’d get an opportunity to show his best attributes. But against USA, for example, they’re very quick and strong on the break so Trent might not be the best option there."
The ex-Anfield favourite stop short of saying whether Alexander-Arnold would make his first-choice starting eleven for the final group stage clash against Wales later this month.
Heskey did however, go on to share what he expects from this current crop of England stars as they gear up for their third major tournament under Southgate's stewardship.
"We got to a semi-final in the last World Cup and followed that up by getting to the final at the Euros, so the logic says we should be winning this one as the next step," he claimed.
"When I look back on those semi-final and final defeats, I don’t think there was any huge pressure on anyone because they’d already performed better than expected. But that progress breeds expectancy and with that comes more pressure on the group.
"I’d prefer the players to be able to go out and enjoy the experience, that freedom can produce better performances."
READ MORE: Emile Heskey confirms Liverpool are "in the hunt" for £100million generational talent
