Gareth Southgate has hinted at the potential of playing Trent Alexander-Arnold as an inverted full-back for England following his announced squad for the nation’s upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers.
The Three Lions began their qualification campaign in March with wins over Italy and Ukraine, leaving them atop the infant Group C table. Next up is a double-header in June against Malta and North Macedonia, with the nation welcoming the latter to Old Trafford.
Ahead of next month’s round of fixtures, Southgate has revealed his roll call of 25, with a few notable omissions and one or two surprise inclusions, chief among those is uncapped Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze, who has enjoyed a stellar campaign at Selhurst Park.
Alexander-Arnold was also named in Southgate’s squad, and while his inclusion won’t come as a surprise to many, there are continued concerns that he will be used sporadically by the England boss — a theme that has dominated his international career thus far.
With such a traffic jam of talent at right-back, including Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier and Reece James — whose latest injury has rendered him unavailable — Alexander-Arnold has struggled to find consistent playing time for The Three Lions.
The adventurous full-back is a mainstay in Jurgen Klopp’s XI for Liverpool, but slight apprehensions about his defensive capabilities has made Southgate think twice about handing him a consistent starting berth.
Here we go.
Your #ThreeLions squad for June! ???????
— England (@England) May 24, 2023
Given Southgate prefers a more cautious set-up to Klopp’s high-octane pressing — which, no doubt, correlates to the restrictions of international football where managers don’t have day-to-day access to drill home their ideas — Alexander-Arnold doesn’t have the freedom to roam and attack the byline with as much vigour.
However, his recent recalibration as an inverted full-back in Liverpool’s system, where he often drifts in-field and functions as a quasi-midfielder, has “reinvigorated” his career, according to Southgate — who has been toying with the idea of trying something similar for England.
In the press conference of his squad announcement, Southgate said: “He’s a super footballer. He’s obviously playing in a slightly different role which has reinvigorated him in recent months.
“His new role is something I’ve talked to him about in the last couple of weeks.”
Only two players in the Premier League have created 40+ chances from open play, made 40+ successful tackles and made 40+ interceptions this season.
◉ Trent Alexander-Arnold
◎ Moisés CaicedoGareth Southgate could only call one of them up. ? pic.twitter.com/HnsTPw5yZH
— Squawka (@Squawka) May 24, 2023
The inverted full-back system is one that has been embraced most prominently by Pep Guardiola at Manchester City in the Premier League, while Mikel Arteta has also adopted a similar approach for Arsenal, with Oleksandr Zinchenko regularly gravitating in-field to supply the midfield.
Among the other more noteworthy decisions made by Southgate, he has handed Eze a slot in his squad, and has spoken in glowing terms of the Palace forward’s rise to the top following a major injury scare last season.
Southgate said: “We’ve liked him for a long time. He was very unfortunate just before the Euros, we were going to call him in and he got an injury on the day.
Eberechi Eze has completed more take-ons than any other player in the Premier League this season:
◎ 37 games
◉ 71 take-ons completed
◎ 67 shots
◎ 55 chances created
◎ 10 goals
◎ 4 assistsEbs is in the England squad. ? pic.twitter.com/zozfF2qIAt
— Squawka (@Squawka) May 24, 2023
“He has finished the season really strongly. He can play in a couple of positions across the attacking line.
“Everyone I speak to talks brilliantly about him as a person.”
The England boss also confirmed that Raheem Sterling has been omitted as he’s nursing a slight a “hamstring problem”, while Lewis Dunk, James Maddison and Marc Guehi are all in the squad, with Ben White, Eric Dier and Mason Mount excluded.