Trent Alexander-Arnold's Evolution: From Right-Back to Midfield Maestro
Few players embody the spirit of modern football quite like Trent Alexander-Arnold. The Liverpool star has enjoyed a meteoric rise since making his debut for the Reds in 2016, amassing an impressive 310 appearances for the club by the age of 25.
Alexander-Arnold began his journey in Liverpool’s youth system, where his versatility was evident even at a young age. Tim Jenkins, a former analyst and assistant coach for Liverpool's Under-21s, recalls his early years: "He'd played in midfield in Pep Lijnders' Under-16s, at the base of the diamond. He was right in the middle of the pitch and involved in everything."
As he progressed through the ranks, various coaches utilized his dynamic skill set. "When he went into the Under-18s with Neil Critchley, they started to help him use his physical attributes a bit, so he played on the outside as a right winger or a right full-back," Jenkins adds. This adaptability has been a hallmark of his career, making him an invaluable asset across multiple positions.
His Premier League debut came in January 2017, a 1-1 draw against Manchester United, marking the beginning of an extraordinary career. Over the following seasons, Alexander-Arnold's role evolved significantly. Initially, his assists came predominantly from wide areas. In the 2018-19 season, he registered 12 assists, the third-highest tally in the Premier League, bettered only by his subsequent performance of 13 assists the following season, behind only Kevin de Bruyne.
"If you look at the assists from earlier in his career, they came from wide," Jenkins notes. "More recently, he's been able to move inside into the half-space and deliver from there. Trent has had an ideal skillset to adapt to how the game has changed."
Indeed, last season, Alexander-Arnold's average of 5.25 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes in the Premier League and Europa League ranked him in the 99th percentile among full-backs in Europe's top five divisions. Additionally, he was in the 99th percentile for expected assisted goals per 90 (0.37) and passes attempted (87.71), demonstrating his growing influence in more central areas of the pitch.
Yet, his journey hasn't been without its challenges. Alexander-Arnold was notably absent from Liverpool's tour of America but started the final pre-season friendly against Sevilla at right-back. His contract is set to expire in the summer, and speculation linking him to Real Madrid has only added to the intrigue surrounding his future.
From Right-Back to Midfield
While Alexander-Arnold has spent the majority of his career at right-back, recent performances for England indicate a potential shift. In six of his last seven starts for the national team, he has been deployed in midfield, showcasing his versatility once again. "Trent's weakest attribute is his defending, and he was playing as a deep-lying midfielder," says former Liverpool player Jason McAteer. "He was great on the ball, but without it, he was exposed and became a bit of a scapegoat."
Despite these challenges, McAteer is quick to highlight Alexander-Arnold's myriad attributes. "Trent has got that many attributes that you've got to get him into the team... We look at him as this passing genius, great with the ball at his feet and creative."
Jason McAteer further contextualizes the evolution of the full-back role in modern football: "Today's full-back is a lot more like a wing-back. You've got to get forward. You've got to get balls into the box. And you have this hybrid role where you come into midfield." This hybrid role may very well be Alexander-Arnold's calling. "I think that hybrid full-back role is still his best position, where he can roll into the inside of the pitch," affirms Jenkins.
The Future Beckons
As Liverpool prepares for the 2024-25 campaign, Trent Alexander-Arnold’s role will undoubtedly be pivotal. Slot, who tends to favor a 4-3-3 or 4-2-1-3 formation, will have the challenge of maximizing Alexander-Arnold’s unique skill set. Klopp, too, has been adaptive in his approach. "Klopp would say that sometimes Trent will be on the outside, sometimes he'll be on the inside – wherever he is, he’s just going to be Trent," Jenkins observes.
Alexander-Arnold’s story is one of continual evolution, balancing his roots as a right-back with burgeoning potential in midfield. As the game evolves, so does Trent—a player whose versatility and talent ensure he remains at the heart of Liverpool and England’s future plans.