Trent Alexander-Arnold has been omitted from the latest England squad, but Three Lions great David Beckham admits he intends to take the Real Madrid ace to this summer’s World Cup
Trent Alexander-Arnold was overlooked in the latest England squad (Image: SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
David Beckham admitted it would be “very difficult not to take Trent Alexander-Arnold to the World Cup” after supporting the Real Madrid ace to earn him a spot in the England squad.
The former Liverpool full-back has never been a regular fixture for the Three Lions, but was overlooked in the expanded 35-man squad for last night’s draw with Uruguay and Tuesday’s friendly against Japan.
Alexander-Arnold was a huge favorite during his time at Liverpool, winning much praise for his attacking prowess. His defensive work was cited as a flaw in his game and he decided to pursue a new challenge in La Liga in the summer, leaving Anfield at the end of his contract.
Beckham has played primarily on the right-wing of midfield for most of his England career and while he was happy not to have to make a decision, he admitted that Alexander-Arnold would join the team.
He told talkSPORT: “That’s why I’m not the England manager, because I don’t have to make those decisions. But I’m a big Trent fan. I’ve heard many times that, ‘Well, he’s not as good defensively as he is (attacking).’ Well, sometimes you have to accept that. Roberto Carlos was an incredible defender, but he was also an incredible step forward.”
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“He’s always going to come forward and we’re going to have to cover him, so that’s what you would expect. But with Trent, would I take him? I think it’s very difficult not to take a player like Trent. But Thomas, he came out and said there are other players ahead of him at this point.”
The latest England squad did not include the injured Reece James, who would have been many’s first choice. Tuchel started Tino Libramento at right-back on Friday night, but there are a number of players who can play there, including Ben White.
David Beckham admits he will take the Real Madrid man to the World Cup (Image: AP)
Tuchel insists the door is not yet closed on Alexander-Arnold and he is yet to confirm his place at Real, but that other players are simply ahead of him in the pecking order.
“I have a clear picture of what he can bring to the team and what kind of structure he needs to be the best version of himself. We are playing a slightly different structure at the moment and I think that’s not playing to his strengths. It’s not his fault and there’s a lot of football to play.”
“He’s in the quarter-finals against Bayern, so that’s a key thing to watch for him and for me as well. We’ll look at the data and we’ll also look at his video clips. So he’s not out of the picture. He’s on the longlist, everyone is still in the shortlist, but there are some other players right up there at the moment.”
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