Jurgen Klopp made his feelings clear on Trent Alexander-Arnold when England began trialing the Liverpool star as a midfielder claiming: "Why would you make the best right-back in the world a midfielder?"
The 25-year-old was named as a midfielder in England's Euro 2024 squad and played in that role against Serbia and Denmark - with the Three Lions underwhelming in both games. Alexander-Arnold's quality has been limited as he's pushed into a more advanced role.
Gareth Southgate hooked him in the Denmark draw before leaving him on the bench for the stalemate with Slovenia, bringing him on in the final minutes. When he appeared from the bench Alexander-Arnold slotted in at right-back, the position he's excelled at for the Reds.
There had long been a clamour, from some, to see the Liverpool man pushed further up the pitch. Despite Klopp sticking with him as a defender, Southgate has opted against and experimented with him as a midfielder despite the limited time he gets with the player.
It looks as if that trial is over with Klopp's frustrations - and reasoning - now coming full circle as Alexander-Arnold cops criticism for England's failings. After a game with Andorra in 2021, where the Liverpool man played in midfield, he said: "In this game, in a game where England are that dominant for example, or that we are that dominant that Trent could play in midfield, I would rather he was the six than in this case the eight.
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"That is possible but why would you make the best right-back in the world a midfielder? I don't understand that really. As if the right-back position is not as important as the others. People who say that I struggle to understand how you could think that."
Klopp went on to explain: "If you watch our games then you will see that Trent's position has already changed. Not in all the games but in games where it is possible, so there is no need to now make him a midfield player. It is a little bit a shame that we talk in 2021 like this about football. Players play everywhere, especially good players.
Jurgen Klopp has overseen the Liverpool star's development (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)"Trent on the right wing was already everywhere on the pitch. Some people think that because he plays 10 yards further up the pitch he would be more influential. Being more influential than Trent Alexander-Arnold in the last, I don't know, how many years he has played for me is really tricky.
"It would mean I would have to have a proper look to find somebody. He plays the right position, we adapt and try and use his skills absolutely, but in the end the right-back is the one who defends the right side and he is doing that really well. All the rest when we have the ball, we use him as good as we can."
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