When Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold was a surprise omission from Gareth Southgate’s England squad there was a possibility the 22-year-old could be called into the nations Under 21 setup.
That would have been a ‘big slap in the face’ according to former Premier League striker Darren Bent.
The 37-year-old told TalkSPORT a decision to drop Alexander-Arnold to the youth ranks wouldn’t have been a fair one.
That would be a big, big call that (TAA playing for England U21’s), he is still eligible to play for the U21’s, but for me, that is a big slap in the face. He has been brilliant since he got into Liverpool’s first-team and has been an international so for so long. All of a sudden then put him in the U21’s. I think that’s a slap in the face. It’s a bit too far.
Bent went on to discuss the trophies the full-back has already accumulated in his young career, whilst also alluding to a dip in performance this season.
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Whilst there’s little doubt Alexander-Arnold struggled to reach his exceptional levels of previous seasons earlier on in the campaign – to bring his ability into question would be foolish.
Valued at £90m (Transfermarkt), the attacking full-back has already proven himself at the elite level on numerous occasions and would be a glaring omission from national team squads moving forwards.
Ultimately, however, the omission from the recent internationals is of benefit to Jurgen Klopp’s side – affording the ace a rest ahead of a crucial set of fixtures.
