Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold’s England U19s snub paid off as ace prepares for World Cup
Young right-back rejected call-up for Under-19 Championships last season, insisting he wanted a full pre-season with Reds
TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD knows he has been proved right after walking away from England’s youth team just 11 months ago.
The right-back took the massive yet brave gamble of making himself unavailable for the 2017 Uefa European Under-19 Championships in Georgia.
Alexander-Arnold told Three Lions coach Keith Downing he wanted to be available for all of Liverpool’s pre-season.
After England won the tournament, Alexander-Arnold went on to score his first senior goal in the Champions League play-off against Hoffenheim, helped the Reds on a fantasy ride to the final against Real Madrid and then ended up in Gareth Southgate’s World Cup squad.
And to complete an unbelievable season for the player raised near to Liverpool’s Melwood training ground, the 19-year-old made his senior Three Lions debut in the 2-0 win over Costa Rica at Leeds’ Elland Road last Thursday.
Asked whether he has been vindicated in terms of his massive call last July, Alexander-Arnold said: “I had been involved heavily with the Under-19s throughout the season and in qualifying in the elite rounds.
“I always wanted to go but I wanted to focus on becoming first-choice right-back at Liverpool and then push on from there. I thought, ‘I’m going to need the rest’.
“The Under-19s tournament cut into a bit of pre-season time that I thought was valuable.
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“It was time that I needed to be in and around the Liverpool team to show the manager that I was still improving and still had the hunger to get better every day.
“Obviously it has paid off and the vision always was to play for the seniors. The FA was really understanding about it.
Road to Russia
QUALIFYING RESULTS
04/09/16 Slovakia A 1-0
08/10/16 Malta H 2-0
11/10/16 Slovenia A 0-0
11/11/16 Scotland H 3-0
26/03/17 Lithuania H 2-0
10/06/17 Scotland A 2-2
01/09/17 Malta A 4-0
04/09/17 Slovakia H 2-1
05/10/17 Slovenia H 1-0
08/10/17 Lithuania A 1-0
TOP SCORERS
5 Harry Kane
2 Adam Lallana
2 Daniel Sturridge
MOST APPEARANCES
9 Joe Hart
9 Kyle Walker
8 Gary Cahill
“I am happy with how it has gone. It is hard to think just how far things have come in the last year or so. It is down to the people who have supported me along the way — my family and friends, the manager and all his staff and everyone at Melwood.”
Alexander-Arnold seems set to play second fiddle to Kieran Trippier in Russia — but the defender is hopeful he could yet earn his second cap over the next month.
He said: “I am not sure of the manager’s plans or if he has picked any team — but, in my mind, it is still up for grabs.
“I am going to work every day to try to show him that I am good enough to play and hopefully work my way into the team.”