Trent Alexander-Arnold feels he can be England’s midfield man after fantastic performance vs Malta

In reality, there is little to be read from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s masterful performance in England’s midfield on Friday night.

Malta couldn’t get near him. They couldn’t handle his balance and reach. They certainly couldn’t cope with a raspy 25-yard strike that doubled England’s lead. But Malta, number 172 in the world ranking, would of course never be.

The tough test of whether the Liverpool full-back has a future in central midfield will come as England head coach Gareth Southgate continues the experiment against better quality opponents.

Yet Alexander-Arnold has now gained impetus for an international career that has hitherto been weighed down by negativity.

“It’s certainly a path, one that the manager wants to explore and I want to explore,” said Alexander Arnold.

The England fullback scored his side’s second goal in the Euro 2024 qualifier

“It’s one that’s exciting for the future, and who knows? For me, I want to make sure I play as many games in England as possible and that has always been the goal, which gave the manager a headache.

“This is a possible route we can take that will help me get into the team. I think there is definitely potential in that.

“It’s about putting questions in the manager’s mind, knowing that I can play there and bring qualities that other players can’t. Hopefully causing a headache is what I need to do.’

Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier and Reece James are all ahead of Alexander-Arnold in the right-back pecking order, although the former two are in the twilight years of their international careers.

But in many ways, the qualities of comfort on the ball and precision in possession that Alexander-Arnold showed on Friday night have been wasted on a full-back.

Following Alexander-Arnold’s man-of-the-match performance in the victory over Malta, Southgate revealed the plan to play the 24-year-old midfielder was hatched four weeks ago during talks with the Liverpool player.

It worked a treat on a Friday night. It will be interesting to see if Southgate hold up against North Macedonia at Old Trafford on Monday.

“I enjoyed playing there, it’s a new role for me – one I’m going to have to get used to, I need to play more games there,” said Alexander-Arnold.

“It was the first game so far and it was a good one, I helped the team win the game. It was a good foundation for me.

“For a new position and new role in a system I’ve never played in before, there were good signs, good moments and things to learn from.

The Liverpool player admitted he wanted to ‘ask questions’ to Gareth Southgate (L)

The Merseyside star wore the number 10 shirt and quickly showed why after picking up an assist

“But I think I found myself in positions where I could influence the game and bring the quality that I do.”

However, full-back isn’t the only position in the England team where Alexander-Arnold faces stiff competition. Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham are likely to be regulars in the England squad for the foreseeable future, so a breakthrough in Southgate’s midfield is far from a foregone conclusion.

Sharpening a new exchange in central midfield will depend on many factors. His new right-back-midfield hybrid role under Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool has given Alexander-Arnold the chance to learn some of the aspects it takes to become a genuine go-between.

But there are nuances and instincts associated with the role that won’t necessarily come naturally to him. Other players, such as Mason Mount, have developed their creative play in midfield over the years.

“There are a lot of questions involved, I absorb a lot of information about where to be and how to play the game,” he said. ‘I know what qualities I have and what I need to work on.

“Whatever position I play in, it will always be there. I’m someone who is a perfectionist and wants to be as perfect as possible, so while this was a good game, there are a lot of things I can work on and improve on.

The 24-year-old claimed he hopes to ‘build on the foundation he has in this new role’

“But I also felt natural there. Feeling like it’s something I’ve always done and something I could do regularly.

Against Malta on Friday I thought my positioning was good, I could get second balls, there were also interceptions.

“With games it becomes more natural and I just instinctively find the right positions instead of thinking about them a lot.

“It’s still early days, but hopefully I’ll get more minutes in the next game and build on the foundation I’ve laid.”