TRENT’S TICK-ET TO TOP
Kop kid’s in dreamland
TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD continues to tick off his career goals one by one.
As an eight-year-old, Alexander-Arnold would stand outside Liverpool’s training ground trying to catch a glimpse of his hero Steven Gerrard.
His dream of following in Gerrard’s footsteps was realised when he made his debut in the League Cup win over Tottenham last season.
Eleven further appearances followed last season but things moved on to a whole new level for him on Tuesday night.
The 18-year-old Scouser scored on his European debut thanks to a fine free-kick in Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Hoffenheim in the first leg of their Champions League play-off.
Excited
“Special in so many different ways for me personally and I’ve definitely ticked the box off,” he said of his stunning opener for the Reds.
Many coaches at Liverpool’s Kirkby academy have been excited to see how Alexander-Arnold, who grew up around the corner from their Melwood training ground, would fare in the first team.
But it is Gerrard’s top billing he is trying to fulfil.
The former Reds skipper, now charged with moulding Anfield’s next generation as Under-18s boss, cited the young defender in his autobiography in 2015 as one to watch and earlier this year called him a “beauty”.
Gerrard continued to rave about the star man in his role as a pundit for BT Sport on Tuesday. “It’s always good to get compliments from your idol and I am hoping to live up to his words,” said Alexander-Arnold, who one day wants to captain the Reds.
Alexander-Arnold is the nephew of Manchester United club secretary John Alexander but was never going to play for Liverpool’s rivals.
Not that they would have let him go, given how highly thought of he has been since he arrived at the club.
He followed his breakthrough season by opting out of an England Under-19s summer tournament because he wanted to impress boss Jurgen Klopp in pre-season.
That paid off when Nathaniel Clyne was ruled out of the start of the campaign and AlexanderArnold was prepared to fill the void and offer the England international a serious challenge for his place.
The FA, while disappointed he was not with the U-19s as they lifted the European Championship trophy in Georgia, will not hold it against him.
His international progression will not be hindered by the decision, with a step up to the U-20s next before he surely graduates to the U-21s.
The right-back has the versatility to play across the backline or in midfield.
“I don’t tend to think about it,” he said after his goalscoring performance. “I just go to Melwood every day and try to fight for my position for the weekend.”