Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was shocked that Anfield favorite Trent Alexander-Arnold was overlooked by England coach Gareth Southgate for the World Cup qualifiers played last week and has claimed that he did not ‘understand’ why the right-back was not chosen.
Alexander-Arnold’s form has disappointed him this season, with the 22-year-old failing to replicate the incredibly high demands he made on himself during the previous two campaigns.
Alexander-Arnold was probably the best right-back in the world 2019 and 2020 | Sebastian Frej / MB Media / Getty Images
In addition to a decline in his own level, Alexander-Arnold has also suffered due to the competition for places at right back in the England squad. Southgate not only have established international Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier competing for selection, Reece James has also emerged as one of Chelsea’s best and most important players in recent months.
It also puts Alexander-Arnold’s place in England’s delayed Euro 2020 squad in jeopardy this summer, but Klopp insists he cannot cope with why his players were stumbled.
“If Trent Alexander-Arnold is not in the squad, England must have an extremely good squad. I was surprised when he did not receive the invitation. I respect the decision, of course. But I did not understand that,” Klopp was quoted as saying by BBC Sport.
“I respect that Gareth makes his own decisions, of course, but I still did not understand it because Trent Alexander-Arnold was at least the last two seasons, let me say the season before and the season before that, stand out right-back in world football.
Jurgen Klopp supports his Liverpool player | Pool / Getty Images
That is the truth and at an incredibly young age.
“He started [2020/21] season with Covid and you can imagine that it took him a while to get into the season. But from the moment he was on the season, he was one of our most consistent players and an outstanding player. He could play all the time, at a high level all these kinds of things, so that can not be the reason he was not in the squad. ”
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