Jurgen Klopp's stance on Trent Alexander-Arnold says it all amid stinging Roy Keane attack
Roy Keane delivered a damning assessment of Trent Alexander-Arnold after England's win over Finland, but Jurgen Klopp has never had any doubts over the defender's ability
by Dan Marsh · The MirrorRoy Keane may not be convinced on Trent Alexander-Arnold as a defender, but Jurgen Klopp has made it clear he has no concerns over the Liverpool star.
Alexander-Arnold, 26, was on the scoresheet in England's 3-1 win over Finland on Sunday after netting a superb free-kick. But that didn't spare the right-back from a stinging post-match attack from Keane.
The ITV Sport pundit took aim at Alexander-Arnold's defending, saying: “You give time to Trent, because his decision making and quality of passing is fantastic, but I can’t believe how bad he is defensively and against better teams he’ll be punished.”
Keane's verdict on Alexander-Arnold certainly split opinion online, with the Liverpool defender impressing on the whole in England's matches so far under interim head coach Lee Carsley.
But while Keane may be less than convinced over Alexander-Arnold's defensive qualities, Klopp is of a different opinion. The former Liverpool manager has long dismissed 'myths' over said concerns with Alexander-Arnold.
Speaking back in September 2022, Klopp said: “We are fine here because it’s completely different because I see him differently, it’s obvious. There are stories out there all the time that talk about him and say he’s not a good defender, but that’s not true.
“He is a good defender. He doesn’t always defend good, that is true as well, but that is what we’re working on. He is a young player, he is 23. My point of view, it’s an easy pick. Whichever team I would coach in the moment, I would sign him because he is exceptional. Is he always exceptional? No.”
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Klopp's successor Arne Slot has echoed the German since coming into the job. Speaking after a 3-0 victory over Bournemouth last month, Slot said: "The only thing I know is we are talking about a player who won the Champions League and a league title. It's clear to me he's been a good defender all his life. It's not about if he's capable of doing things. It's more about his concentration rate."
Alexander-Arnold has been restricted to a bit-part role for England due to the form and longevity of Kyle Walker, who has been the Three Lions undisputed first-choice at right-back, though the Reds vice-captain has started all four international matches since the Euro 2024 final.
He was deployed in central midfield for the start of the Euro 2024 campaign in the summer by former England manager Gareth Southgate - a decision that sparked debate. However, the experiment was short-lived after the team struggled to live up to expectations during the group stage.
Alexander-Arnold has won 33 caps for England to date since winning his maiden senior cap in 2018, scoring four goals in the process.
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