TRENT’S DEBT TO EX-HIBS MAN

BEFORE he gets ready for what could be the greatest night of his young life, Trent Alexander-Arnold will revisit one of the worst. Liverpool’s right-back has risen to every challenge over the last 12 months, so much so that he has forced his way into England’s World Cup squad. Alexander-Arnold does not get flustered, not even when he thinks about the task of trying to shackle Real Madrid’s armada of stars. Mention Cristiano Ronaldo or the flying left-back Marcelo and Alexander-Arnold will feel he has the tools to cope in Kiev. Why? It all revolves around a lesson he was taught by a Manchester City academy graduate, Brandon Barker, who spent last season on loan at Hibs. Alexander-Arnold had barely played in his current position when he made his debut for Liverpool Under-21s in a game at Anfield against City but he has not forgotten the evening. Barker twisted him inside out, City won 3-0 and the then 17-year-old was substituted long before the end. ‘It was one of the first times I’d played right-back,’ said Alexander-Arnold. ‘I was up against an unbelievable team and an unbelievable player in Brandon Barker. That’s probably one of the hardest games I’ve had. ‘It brings back bad memories for me but it’s those type of games that help you learn. They are the ones that you learn from the most. It’s not the good ones, it’s the bad ones. You make mistakes that you want to learn from, that you don’t want to happen again.’ Alexander-Arnold scored Liverpool’s first goal in Europe this season, a stunning free-kick in the 2-1 first-leg play-off win against Hoffenheim last August, and he has not looked back. His ability to remain unfazed in difficult situations helped persuade Gareth Southgate to include him in his 23-man England party for Russia — and he is quick to pay tribute to club boss Jurgen Klopp’s influence. ‘He really is a father figure to us all,’ he said. ‘We try to do what he says and, hopefully, I can make him proud on Saturday. ‘It would be good to meet up with England and know I’ve won the Champions League.’