Gareth Southgate, the England coach, stated that he intends to give Trent Alexander-Arnold more opportunities in midfield after the Liverpool right-back starred in the 4-0 victory over Malta on Friday in the Euro 2024 qualifiers. Alexander-Arnold excelled in a midfield role for Liverpool during the later months of the 2022-2023 season and was in top form against Malta in his first international appearance of the year, scoring a long-range goal and contributing to two others.
The 24-year-old has struggled to secure a starting spot under Southgate, having played only 19 international matches since his debut in 2018, as the England coach prefers Reece James, Kyle Walker, or Kieran Trippier at right-back. This was his first advanced appearance for England since an unsuccessful stint as a playmaker against Andorra in 2021. However, following his outstanding performance on Friday, Southgate expressed his desire to leverage Alexander-Arnold's creativity.
Southgate said, "I have no doubt he can do that. We talked about it on the phone four weeks ago, and he is excited about it. He showed exactly what we think he is capable of and gives us something different from our other midfielders."
Alexander-Arnold, who wore the number 10 jersey, hopes this will help him secure a regular place in Southgate's squad. He added, "I haven't played in this position much, but I feel comfortable. It's a natural feeling. It's a position I can see myself playing in. I want to make sure I am regularly starting, and that was a good foundation to build on."
