Jurgen Klopp had already warned England about moving Trent Alexander-Arnold into midfield

Jurgen Klopp didn't mince his words regarding Trent Alexander-Arnold's foray into midfield for England, pointedly questioning: "Why would you make the best right-back in the world a midfielder?"

Despite being a standout performer as a right-back for Liverpool, Trent Alexander-Arnold was tested in a midfield role by England, featuring there against both Serbia and Denmark during Euro 2024. The experimental move seemed to constrain Alexander-Arnold's natural talents as the team's performances failed to inspire.

Gareth Southgate substituted Alexander-Arnold during the draw with Denmark and left him on the bench for the majority of the Slovenia match. Only in the game's dying moments did the Liverpool star come on, reverting to his familiar position at right-back

READ MORE: Liverpool transfer news LIVE: Murillo claim, Eberechi Eze 'contact', Riccardo Calafiori agreement
READ MORE: Arne Slot knows exactly what to do with Trent Alexander-Arnold after England's dull Slovenia draw

It has often been suggested that Alexander-Arnold could excel further upfield, yet Klopp firmly kept him in the defensive line. Reflecting on a past England fixture against Andorra in 2021 where Alexander-Arnold occupied a midfield spot, Klopp had remarked: "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.

"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.

"If you watch our games then you will see that Trent's position has already changed. Not in all the game, 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.

"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.

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can read the original story in the Daily Mirror by clicking here.