After enjoying an impressive season with us last year, Trent Alexander-Arnold earned himself an England call-up for the World Cup this summer.
The 19-year-old will hope to make an impression for Gareth Southgate’s side in Russia, but it remains to be seen if he is given the opportunity to impress on the pitch.
SEE MORE: Firmino on bouncing back from Champions League heartbreak, LFC ace eager for positive summer
If he doesn’t, it will still be a crucial experience for him at such a young age, and there will undoubtedly be plenty he can take away from it moving forward to help him mature and develop as a player with future tournaments in mind and his progression at Anfield.
That’s what former Liverpool man Steve McMahon wants him to do, as he has offered him a word of advice on what to do at the World Cup this summer to ensure he makes the most of the experience.
“Absorb it – be like a sponge,” he said, as quoted by the Liverpool Echo. “Every training session, every time you get on a flight, and especially when he is in Russia, take in everything. Look around you in the stadiums that he goes to.
“I’d tell him to write a diary. I wish I’d have done that (at the 1990 World Cup). I’d wish I’d done that daily and across the month to keep my England World Cup memories (as a document).”
The 56-year-old made 204 appearances for us between 1985 and 1991, while landing 17 caps for England.
Alexander-Arnold will be wise to take his advice on board, but naturally, it’s hoped that he’s given a chance to do more than just merely make up the numbers in Russia this summer. Getting playing time and gaining experience will be much more helpful to him in the long run, and it’s hoped he can come back in pre-season ready to play a fundamental role for us next season too.