Roy Keane doubles down on brutal Trent Alexander-Arnold verdict after England call-up

Roy Keane has doubled down on his thoughts on Trent Alexander-Arnold, and has urged Gareth Southgate not to play the Liverpool star in midfield during Euro 2024.

Alexander-Arnold is among four of the Reds’ players named in England’s provisional squad for the tournament this summer. He’s joined by Joe Gomez, Curtis Jones and Jarell Quansah, with the latter two receiving their first international call-ups.

The initial 33-man squad will be cut down to 26 before the tournament begins, although Alexander-Arnold seems a safe bet to be on the plane to Germany. Unlike with Liverpool though, the 25-year-old isn’t assured of a place in Southgate’s starting XI.

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The Anfield academy graduate has been named as a midfielder in the Three Lions’ squad, and he has impressed in recent outings for England in the engine room. Former Manchester United captain Keane though has urged Southgate to overlook the Liverpool star this summer as a midfield option.

“You can’t play him [Alexander-Arnold] in there [midfield] against one of the top teams,” Keane told the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet. “In one or two of the group matches you get away with it, but if you play Trent in there against one of the top nations, defensive side of the game we are talking about, he can’t defend.

“I think [Declan] Rice has got enough about him, he’s played a lot of games, I’d have no problem of Rice as your option, the sitting role. I’d still be worried as a two [man midfield] — I think Trent against the real top teams — the French or Germany, whatever it might be, in the knock-out games, if you are playing Trent in there [center midfield], defensively — he can’t defend!

“In midfield, you have to defend in midfield. I don’t think he’s got — defensively he dangles his leg in, look back at the Everton game - he’s not aggressive in defensive situations.

“On the ball I love him, absolutely love him, but at that level we are talking about, the knockout games, England will obviously get through the group, but the knock-out games, if Trent gets in there and gets asked to do a defensive job for England against a really good team [he’ll struggle].”

Keane’s verdict sees him double down on his comments earlier in the season, when he was equally as cutting with his verdict on the Liverpool star.

"I can't believe how bad [Trent Alexander-Arnold] is at defending,” Keane said back in January. “For a guy that’s played a lot of games in defense, it’s like he’s never played the position before. How bad he is at defending, it’s amazing when people just run past him."

Liverpool.com says: If only there was some evidence of Alexander-Arnold playing in big knockout matches for Liverpool over the years to show Keane that he is actually capable of doing it…

Keane has taken the lazy route once again by trotting out the old ‘Trent can’t defend’ line as a reason not to play him for England. Ignoring the fact that he is quite simply wrong on that, how could you not play someone as talented as Alexander-Arnold?

He has been the standout player for England in his last few appearances for the Three Lions, and a midfield three of Rice, Alexander-Arnold and Jude Bellingham would be unbelievable. For all the criticism Southgate gets for being negative, it turns out the pundits are just as bad.