Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold should play in a more attacking role in the England team, believes Danny Murphy.
The former Reds and Three Lions midfielder believes the 20-year-old crossing ability is a ‘weapon’ that is not being properly utilised by Gareth Southgate in his new system.
The England boss played with a back-three and two wing backs at the World Cup last summer as the Three Lions reached the semi-finals, but reverted back to a flat back four for the Nations League games against the Netherlands and Switzerland.
Alexander-Arnold, crowned a European champion with Liverpool just days before, didn’t start in the extra-time defeat to the Dutch, but did in the third place play-off victory over the Swiss.
He didn’t have as much of an impact as we’ve seen from him all season in a Reds shirt, though, and Murphy says Southgate’s tactics were to blame.
He believes the 20-year-old’s talents are wasted in a flat back four, and has urged the England boss to push the wing-back further up field to fully harness his crossing ability.
“Trent is becoming a real threat,” said the talkSPORT pundit on Monday’s Jim White show.
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“His crossing is so consistently good, it’s such a weapon. He is consistently putting the ball in ridiculously dangerous areas.
“At the moment with our lack of creativity in the middle of the park, I think we have to get this lad in the team constantly.
“I’m not saying we should be relying on a 20-year-old, but when he’s fit, when he’s flying and he’s confident, he has to play.
“We did so well in the World Cup as Gareth Southgate stuck at the three at the back, but now he’s changed to a four and he’s probably got his reasons.
“But if you play a four with England, what you’re doing is restricting Trent a little bit.
“So then how do you get the best out of him? I think it’s a bit further up and giving him that freedom.”
