Since cementing his place in the Liverpool starting XI in 2017/18, Trent Alexander-Arnold has proven himself to be one of the very best right-backs in world football.
An English, European and world champion during his time at Anfield, he became the youngest player to win all six major honours on offer to English clubs this season as the Reds clinched a domestic cup double. Meanwhile, his return of 61 assists and 12 goals, as a defender, from 226 appearances is astonishing.
Yet some would still have you believe that the 23-year-old should be reinvented as a midfielder, with lazy criticism of his defensive attributes still present despite all he has achieved in the game to date. Such questioning was again evident after Liverpool ’s Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid last month, when Vinicius Jr got away from the right-back to score a tap-in when left unmarked at the far post.
