Page 32 - Soccer360 Issue 105

ALEXANDER- ARNOLD SPOTLIGHT
LEFT:
Alexander-Arnold
still has to convince Gareth Southgate that he should start for England
BOTTOM:
Alexander-Arnold
has struggled to win favour under England boss Gareth Southgate
“SINCE BEING
HANDED HIS
INTERNATIONAL
DEBUT IN 2018,
HE’SONLYGONE
ONTOWIN23
ENGLAND CAPS”
Born on October 7, 1998, in Liverpool, England, Alexander-Arnold joined Liverpool’s Academy at the age of six, showcasing his dedication and passion for football from a very young age.
From the moment Jurgen Klopp made the seemingly brave decision to hand him his first Premier League start away to fierce rivals Manchester United in January 2017, he’s never looked back. Soon he’d not only taken over as Liverpool’s first-choice right- back, but he was also starting to showcase what he was truly capable of, scoring direct from free-kicks and becoming one of the best crossers of the ball in the Premier League. In a side full of world class names including the famed front three of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, and Roberto Firmino, the teenage Alexander-Arnold had suddenly emerged as another of their main attacking weapons.
As his career has progressed, there have been some obstacles such as question marks over his defending and a struggle to win favour with the England national team, but he’s consistently delivered inspirational attacking moments for Liverpool, including on the biggest occasions. Who could possibly forget his improvised corner kick to set up Divock Origi for the goal that completed the famous comeback against Barcelona in 2019 and sent Liverpool to the Champions League final? They went on to lift the trophy, a year after he became the club’s youngest player to start a final in Europe’s leading competition as they lost out to Real Madrid.
Then in 2019-20 he was named the Premier League’s Young Player of the Year for his sensational displays as the Reds powered to their first title in 30 years, and two seasons later he became the youngest player in history to win six major trophies, having added the FA Cup, EFL Cup, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup to his remarkable collection. This was achieved at
32 SOCCER360