Roy Keane namedropped his former teammate at Manchester United, David Beckham, when analysing Trent Alexander-Arnold’s performance on the international stage.
The Liverpool fullback registered a hat-trick of assists in England’s 10-goal demolition of San Marino.
“Not a bad night for him considering he has got what, three or four assists tonight?” the Irishman told ITV (via TEAMtalk).
“Sometimes players do try too hard. We have seen that with one of the two younger players.
“But he got back to what he’s good at. Putting it in the right areas.
“Delivery. Fantastic – he talks about Beckham. He used to put it into areas. It’s not about picking people out, just put it into the right area and people will attack it.”
The big World Cup qualifying victory saw Gareth Southgate’s men safely through to the next stage of the tournament, set to be held in Qatar next year.
It’s high praise indeed to compare Trent’s deliver to that of former Galactico Beckham – certainly, it’s an appraisal of the 23-year-old’s abilities that is well-earned in light of all that he accomplished thus far in the famous red shirt.
Of course, the Academy graduate has no need to prove his attacking credentials on both the domestic and international scenes, with his defensive work often the focus of critique.
It’s fascinating that we’re hearing discussions about what a player of the Englishman’s age lacks in terms of being the perfect, all-round fullback and is testament to the sheer brilliance of the defender in question.