Gary Lineker disagrees with Roy Keane and Wayne Rooney on Trent Alexander-Arnold role

Another tournament, another tiresome debate about the merits of Trent Alexander-Arnold in the England team. Jürgen Klopp once rightly pointed out that we don’t have to endure such analysis whenever Kyle Walker makes a mistake, so why does it repeatedly happen with Trent?

The worst thing here is that he is being written off before he has even kicked a ball at Euro 2024. England gets its campaign underway against Serbia in the third match on Sunday. Alexander-Arnold is expected to start in midfield alongside Declan Rice. A parade of pundits has been lining up to say he can’t do the job at the business end of the tournament.

Former Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney was the first to dismiss his chances, on The Overlap. "I have watched Trent play in midfield a few times and I think you lose a lot of his qualities," he said. "His delivery is obviously incredible and of course he can pick passes from midfield, but I think he has to fight it out (with Kyle Walker at right-back).”

READ MORE: Jürgen Klopp summed up Trent Alexander-Arnold perfectly amid Roy Keane and Wayne Rooney digs

READ MORE: Trent Alexander-Arnold's England role becomes clear after Wayne Rooney ignored

"I know Kyle is the best right-back in the world at the minute but I think midfield is such an important position. I would play Mainoo before Trent in midfield, 100 per cent,” Rooney added. He is not alone in this general view of Alexander-Arnold either.

Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville and former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane have voiced similar opinions recently. "They [England] will be fine in the group — Trent will be fine in those matches. But against the really top teams, I think he will be found out very much so,” said the Irishman. “I think if he plays against one of the better teams in the center of midfield, he will be ripped to shreds. I don't think he will be up to it,” Keane concluded.

Thankfully, not every pundit working in the British media played for Liverpool’s fierce rivals from Old Trafford. Presenter Gary Lineker dismissed criticism of Alexander-Arnold when speaking on The Rest Is Football earlier in the season.

“He is a wonderful footballer. I mean, I have been a fan of his for many years,” he said. “From the first few times I saw him I used to think he has got to be a midfield player and I think he was a youngster. It was one of those situations where they see a talent and they think we will get him in the team but you can’t get him in his position,” Lineker added.

“People have a pop at him but I think the positives of his forward play and his passing. I think he is certainly the best passer of the ball in the English game at the moment, and probably in a much bigger area than that, maybe even Europe.

“His range of passing, outside the foot, inside the foot, long passes and short passes and crosses, of course. I’m loving him in this new role where he drifts into midfield.”

Liverpool.com says: Opinion will always vary on Alexander-Arnold. It is remarkable that a player as gifted as the Liverpool number 66 is so decisive; shouldn't most people sing his praises? Be more Lineker and less Manchester United, please, pundits.