There is an exciting obsession with Liverpool youngster Trent Alexander-Arnold at the moment and this promises to be justified if we are to believe Pepijn Lijnders.
The first-team development coach has overseen the full-back’s development since the age of 16 and is a huge admirer of what he offers as a player in all aspects of the game.
Lijnders told Goal.com: “He has something extra, a certain insight and creativity that makes him able to play unpredictable passes.”
“He is quick in mind, knows what’s going to happen and has the capacity to improvise – this opens up situations for himself or for others.”
“Our playing idea is to create chance after chance, from each position taking this initiative. A right defender who can create and can dominate the complete right channel. In my opinion, he is one of the most all-round talents in Europe with a ‘team first’ attitude.”
“When he was my captain at U16 level, he was able to control rhythm and make the team play like no-one else. Some people are born to become a football player; he is definitely one of them.”
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A recent and quite frankly dominant outing from the 18-year-old for Liverpool’s U23s against Chelsea caught the eye once again.
The teenager has impressed on every occasion he has been handed a first team opportunity with his remarkable consistency and obvious technical ability fuelling suggestions that a regular starting place could await him next season.
His rise to stardom has also sparked debate over whether he should be favoured over Nathaniel Clyne. Not only does he possess the physical attributes to make him just as good an athlete as Clyne one day, but he has the exquisite touch, the intelligence and the skill to match.
Liverpool look more than comfortable in the right-back department for the next few years with very few young prospects in recent time showing as much promise as Alexander-Arnold has.