Five things you need to know about Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold

Sport360 staff 14:43 15/05/2018
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  • Trent Alexander-Arnold‘s impressive performances for Liverpool this season have put him in contention for a place in Gareth Southgate’s World Cup squad.

    Here’s a closer look at the 19-year-old ahead of Wednesday’s squad announcement.

    1. Early yearnings

    Alexander-Arnold grew up in West Derby, a short walk from Liverpool’s training ground. As a young boy he used to wait at the gates of Melwood or look through the cracks in the wall to see if he could spot the likes of Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher or Xabi Alonso.

    The family home may have moved since then but Alexander-Arnold still lives with his mum Diane and two brothers Tyler and Marcel.

    Trent

    2. Lucky break

    His Liverpool career actually began with a stroke of fortune. Around the time he was six the club were holding summer community camps and sent invitations to local schools but demand was so high Alexander-Arnold’s class held a raffle – and his name was picked out.

    Within 30 minutes of him being there one of the coaches asked his mum to bring him to their sessions two or three times a week.

    Trent Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool 1

    3. Influences

    The greatest has to be mum Diane. He said: “She has been with me every single step of the way. Without her and the family all around me, I definitely wouldn’t be where I am.” During his spell at the academy Diane would take Christmas presents to the staff to say thanks.

    Even when he graduated to the first-team’s Melwood base she continued, delivering doughnuts one day much to her son’s surprise.

    Originally a midfielder in his mid-teens, when it became apparent there may be a first-team opening in defence, coach Neil Critchley pored over hours of footage with the youngster using Germany’s Philipp Lahm and Brazil’s Dani Alves as role models.

    Trent Alexander

    4. Grand master

    While many 19-year-olds may typically be glued to their PlayStation or Xbox, Alexander-Arnold also has a more cerebral pastime: chess.

    Again it comes from a parental influence which was quite strict about education, with Alexander-Arnold getting involved with a club at school and then taking that home to play his brothers.

    On long trips Alexander-Arnold has found a new opponent in Ben Woodburn, a year his junior, with the pair spending hours playing on either a virtual board or, as in the case for last summer’s pre-season trip, a real one.

    His speed on the pitch is not reflected in his chess game, however, with Woodburn reportedly complaining he takes too long to consider his moves.

    Trent Alexander-Arnold 1

    5. Bigger picture

    Alexander-Arnold is involved with An Hour for Others, a community organisation where local people and businesses are involved in helping many of the most vulnerable in society; elderly living alone, families coping with illness and bereavement, children living in poverty or being bullied at school.

    Alexander-Arnold has become an ambassador for the organisation and through his association with the charity struck up a friendship with Louis Henry, a young boy with cerebral palsy.

    For the final match of the season at Anfield, the defender provided lounge tickets for the youngster’s family and took Louis in his wheelchair on to the pitch with him for the lap of honour.

    Trent Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool celebrates

    Provided by Press Association Sport

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