MUM STILL MAKES ME DO HOOVERING
World Cup hero Trent can’t get out of his chores at home ... but it keeps him grounded
Simon Mullock
TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD may be following in the footsteps of Liverpool legends like Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher – but at home he’s still expected to do the hoovering.
The teenage defender has been on a meteoric rise that has seen him emerge from the Anfield youth system to play in a Champions League final and at the World Cup in the space of 12 breathtaking months.
And after using kindred Scouse spirits like Gerrard and Carragher as his own inspiration, he is now a role model for kids coming through the famed academy at Kirkby.
One of the life lessons Alexander-arnold is always quick to stress to wannabe Premier League stars is the value of education and being grounded enough to keep mucking in with the rest of the family.
“I still live with my mum and dad,” said the 19-year-old from West Derby.
“And, yeah, I still have to do my chores at home. I’m not very good with the dishes, so I do the hoovering.
“I help around the place. I’m not the best, but I try to do my bit.
“My parents have always pushed me, about how important it is to keep working hard, whether it’s football or doing your best at school.
“My mum and dad always knew that my dream was to be a footballer, but they warned me that it’s only one or two per cent who are lucky enough to see that dream come true.
“They made sure I always had a back-up plan. I passed all my GSCES and would probably have gone to university if I hadn’t signed for
Liverpool. I feel I have been very lucky, and I hope that I can be a decent role model for the youngsters now coming through the Liverpool academy to look up to, work hard, and aspire to become.
“The likes of Gerrard and Carragher were there for me. They were what I wanted to become and they gave me that bit more inspiration to work hard.
“I was at the under-nine’s signing ceremony at Anfield in May.
“I remembered back to when I did it and Jamie Carragher was there. Jamie signed me and I got my picture taken with him – and it was a dream come true. Seeing the smiles on all the young faces, for me, was incredible.
“When you’re growing up you have dreams – and I am living that dream.
Special
“You want to be playing for one of the best teams in the world, you want to play for your country, you want to be experiencing special occasions.
“So far, I have been lucky. I have been given the opportunity to perform on the biggest stages and I am grateful for that.” As far as Alexander-arnold is concerned, every journey is a learning curve. When the teenager was asked whether someone like Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos could ever be an inspiration, he could have easily sidestepped the issue.
The Spaniard had controversially used all his black arts to bring a painful end to Mo Salah’s Champions League final (inset) when Liverpool were defeated in Kiev last May.
But it isn’t Alexander-arnold’s style to criticise his elders.
“Everyone has their way of winning and I think Ramos has showed over the last 10 years that he’s a winner,” said the young Merseysider.
“Ramos has won multiple trophies and I think how he plays has worked for him and his team for many years.
“To win the Champions League three times in a row takes some doing. You don’t do that if you’re just an average player.
“Ramos has shown over the last 10 or 15 years why he’s probably the best centre-back in the world.
“Obviously you’ve still got to respect him - even if he was the enemy in May. You’ve got to respect him as a player.”