Wayne Rooney has given his verdict on whether he thinks Trent Alexander-Arnold will start England’s first match at Euro 2024…and also had his say on whether he should.
The Liverpool vice-captain is reportedly in line to be included in Gareth Southgate’s XI for the Three Lions’ Group C opener against Serbia on Sunday night, with the discourse as to his position continuing in the lead-up to the match.
Speaking on The Overlap as he and Gary Neville debated the likely starting line-up, the ex-Manchester United striker believes the 25-year-old will be selected, but added that he wouldn’t pick the Reds maestro if he were in charge.
Follow Empire of the Kop on Instagram (@empireofthekop) HERE
Rooney said: “I wouldn’t pick any of them [Trent or Conor Gallagher] but I think he’ll go with Trent. I think he’s probably the most gifted player we’ve got with the ball at his feet; defensively he’s all over the place. He can’t defend. I wouldn’t have him anywhere near the middle of the pitch.
“I’ve no problem playing him here [points to right wing-back position]. I wouldn’t have him anywhere near there [points to midfield], and I love Trent actually. On the ball, the stuff he can do, nobody else can do it.”
We don’t know how much attention the 38-year-old was paying to England’s recent matches, but considering how the Liverpool vice-captain played in those fixtures, it’d seem baffling not to start him against Serbia.
Imagine if Southgate’s team are struggling to break down their opponents and the man in the number 8 shirt isn’t on the pitch. Let’s see how many pundits and fans call for him to be included then…
You can view Rooney’s comments on Trent below (from 1:05:12), via The Overlap on YouTube: