Trent Alexander-Arnold studying England team-mate John Stones as he adapts to hybrid role - 'He is exceptional'

Trent Alexander-Arnold says he is forever wanting to improve his game and looks up to England team-mate John Stones as one of the players inspiring him to develop his skillset.

Liverpool born and bred, Alexander-Arnold came through the youth team before bursting into the senior setup at Anfield as an exciting right-back.

However, in the latest England squad announcement for Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia, Alexander-Arnold is listed as a midfielder.

This comes after struggling to get game time at international level, with Reece James, Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier favoured by England boss Gareth Southgate in the right-back position.

Alexander-Arnold's pinpoint passing and attacking flair long led the argument for why he could be pushed into a more advanced role, but when Southgate initially made the decision to try him in midfield in September 2021, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was baffled.

Speaking shortly after England had dispatched Andorra 4-0 in a World Cup qualifier, Klopp said: “Why would you make the best right-back in the world a midfielder?”

Since then, however, Alexander-Arnold has also operated in a hybrid position for Klopp’s side, providing more attacking threat when the Merseyside club are in possession.

Speaking about his continued development, Alexander-Arnold said: "I enjoy learning about the game.

"Watching things, watching players, different systems, different teams, how different players play it and there are some players who play it really well."

Full-backs providing support to the midfield is becoming more prominent in the minds of football tacticians across the world, but Alexander-Arnold says someone close to home does the job better than many others.

"I think as someone who plays the inverted, hybrid role - I don't know what people call it these days - then it is obviously John Stones," he said.

"He is someone who, for a long time, I have admired his game; he is exceptional, so I watch him a lot - clips or even when I am just watching [Manchester] City's games, I will sit and focus on him.

"He is pivotal in that team and someone who is massively underrated but like we have seen recently, when you take him out of the team, they are not the same. That just shows how important he is.”

In order to ensure he is at his most effective when taking up more advanced positions, Alexander-Arnold says he aims to implement the way out-and-out midfielders play the game too.

"I will watch players from the past as well - [Sergio] Busquets, [Xabi] Alonso, [Andrea] Pirlo, Stevie G [Gerrard] - those players I have always enjoyed watching."

Alexander-Arnold understands he will be required to perform slightly differently when he plays for his country compared to when he represents Liverpool.

"The conversations I have had with the [England] manager and the staff there, I go there as a midfielder, I train there and that is where I try and play on the pitch, barring the Australia game last time," he added.

"It really does help me in that sense. I am not playing midfield week in, week out here [at Liverpool] but I am getting on the ball in central areas and knowing how to receive and conduct yourself and playing a game in midfield is a lot different to at the side of the pitch.

"I think the way I see it and the way I am told and explained to play it [at Liverpool], it is almost when we have the ball I am midfielder and when we don't have the ball I am a right-back.

"My job is the one who comes in and still has the freedom to underlap Mo [Salah] or overlap him, get into the box, shoot or cross, whereas as a number six it is more rigid.”

Another example of Alexander-Arnold’s ability to impact from midfield was evident during Liverpool’s recent win against Brentford, when he played a key role in Mohamed Salah’s opening goal.

That 3-0 victory meant Liverpool went into the international break second in the Premier League.

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