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Wayne Rooney fears Trent Alexander-Arnold is too 'all over the place' to start for England
Wayne Rooney has voiced his concerns about Trent Alexander-Arnold's potential midfield role for England and believes the Liverpool star has defensive weaknesses.
Liverpool star Alexander-Arnold is tipped to join forces with Declan Rice in the centre of the pitch for England's Euro 2024 opener against Serbia on Sunday, having already stepped into midfield during the qualifiers.
His natural inclination to venture forward from his usual right-back position at Liverpool is well-known and has proved successful. Despite Alexander-Arnold's renowned attacking skills, his defensive capabilities have come under scrutiny by some, and the Mirror report Rooney believes this could pose a greater risk if he's positioned higher up the field.
READ MORE: Wayne Rooney fears Trent Alexander-Arnold is too 'all over the place' to start for England
"I think he'll (Southgate) go with Trent," said the Manchester United icon while forecasting England's lineup on The Overlap. "I think he's probably the most gifted player with the ball at his feet we've got. Defensively, he's all over the place. He can't defend. I wouldn't have him anywhere near the middle of the pitch. I'd have no problem with playing him here (at right-back).
"I think in here (midfield), I wouldn't have him anywhere near there. And I love Trent, actually. I think on the ball, the stuff he can do, no one else can do it." Rooney suggests that Southgate himself harbours doubts about Alexander-Arnold's midfield suitability, predicting that the England manager will likely adjust his tactics match by match, as seen in previous tournaments.
"100%, [if] we go into the quarter-finals and we're playing France, Trent is not playing in midfield," Rooney asserted. "For me, I don't think Gareth trusts him enough to play him in midfield. And he has his doubts, the same way I do, about playing midfield."
"That's when you're going to see [Conor] Gallagher or [Kobbie] Mainoo in there. I don't think he trusts Trent defensively, which I think he's right to. In the games where you think you're going to dominate possession, I think you probably will see him in there."
Rooney has backed either England or Portugal to emerge victorious in Germany, but he also feels a lack of experience could cost Southgate – which is why he would've taken Jack Grealish over Jarrod Bowen.
He added: "On the backline, there's not many caps between the players. I had it when I first signed for Manchester United, you get to finals and ends of tournaments, we're looking at the lads that have been there and won trophies.
"They keep you calm and get you through it. That's my worry for England. I think they'll breeze through the group stages, but when they come up against good teams that are going to be a real threat to them, I think that lack of experience might harm us.
"There's no substitute for players who win trophies. I think it's so important. There's not many in the England squad that have done that. The Manchester City lads have been doing that regularly over the last few years. I just think there's a real lack of experience in the squad, that's my worry."
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