Former Liverpool player Glen Johnson has told Trent Alexander-Arnold that he needs to stop sulking if he wants to play for England again.
While often considered the best right-back in the world right now, Alexander-Arnold has struggled for game-time in the England team, with Gareth Southgate preferring other options like Kyle Walker, Reece James & Trippier.
This point was further driven home during the recent international break, when the Liverpool defender was left on the bench for the 1-0 defeat to Italy and omitted from the squad altogether for the 3-3 draw with Germany last Monday.
‘It’s a kick in the backside, one moment he’s starting for Liverpool every week but not for England every week,’ Johnson told SafeBettingSites.
‘Of course, there’s kickbacks, but it’s how good players respond. Every player has had that moment whether they’ve been dropped for the club or dropped for the national side, it’s how you bounce back.
‘If he sulks and feels sorry for himself, then it’s only going to get worse. If he realises that he’s got a lot of work to do to find his form, then I’m sure he’ll be starting for England again very soon.’
While superb going forward and one of the best creators and set-piece takers in the Premier League, it has often been claimed that Southgate’s reluctance to use Alexander-Arnold is due to the player’s defensive limitations.
This season especially has seen Alexander-Arnold struggle with that part of his game, most notably in the high-profile defeats to Manchester United and Napoli.
As a result, many believe that he will not make England’s squad for the upcoming World Cup, although Johnson believes he should go, but whether he starts depends on the opposition.
‘It’s probably about who we’re playing against and how he [Southgate] wants the team to play,’ he added. ‘Reece James is the better all-round player in that position. But Trent’s got the amazing delivery and free-kick ability.
‘I don’t think it’s anything that he doesn’t like, it’s just he prefers a more all-round solid player. Trent is great going forward, but they’re both attributes that can be used against different teams.’
