Trent Alexander-Arnold has everything in his armoury to become an all-time great for Liverpool and England.
The 21-year-old was a key figure for the Reds yet again on Monday night, as they edged out West Ham 3-2 at Anfield.
He registered two assists, teeing-up Gini Wijnaldum and Sadio Mane, also offering endless energy down the right flank.
Alexander-Arnold isn’t without admirers these days, but England legend Gary Lineker is a particularly big fan and he took to Twitter on Tuesday to tip him for greatness
Said it for a long time, he’s gonna be one of this country’s greatest ever players. 👌🏻 https://t.co/t0TGxVUFPZ
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) February 25, 2020
Lineker is absolutely right in making such a bold statement, because this is a generational talent we are watching – one who has the world at his feet.
Alexander-Arnold has been highly-rated for many years, standing out as a future star at Liverpool’s academy. It is under Jurgen Klopp where he has truly flourished, however, switching from a Steven Gerrard-esque central midfielder to a right-back who is a cross between Cafu and Kevin De Bruyne.
His influence on this Reds team – officially the best club side in the world – at the age of just 21 is truly astonishing, and the progress he has made since making his debut in 2016 is beyond belief.
Alexander-Arnold’s assist for Mane against West Ham means the youngster now has 24 to his name since the beginning of last season, which is more than any other Premier League player.
That includes the magnificent De Bruyne, which, even though the Belgian has missed some playing time through injury, still speaks volumes.
When you look at Alexander-Arnold, it is hard to see where you can criticise him, especially given his tender years. He is blisteringly quick, outrageously talented in a technical sense, possesses deadly end product and also has a fire in his belly that his boyhood hero Gerrard also had in abundance.
Granted, there is still some work to be done in defensive sense, but he is still solid in that area.
If Alexander-Arnold can avoid serious injury, it is difficult to see him not reaching enormous heights, such as captaining Liverpool and going on to make a huge amount of appearances, hopefully winning endless silverware at the same time.
He can also be a wonderful player for England, too, adding to the nine caps he has already won and hopefully starring for the Three Lions at Euro 2020 this summer
Gareth Southgate just has to make sure he gives Alexander-Arnold similar license that he gets at Liverpool or he risks not getting the best out of him.
Once in a while, a truly special talent comes along who stands out from his peers.
Even in this star-studded Liverpool squad, there is a sprinkling of extra magic that makes Alexander-Arnold seem extra precious, with, hopefully, at least another decade of his brilliance ahead of us.
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