Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp brushed off a question about Trent Alexander-Arnold’s struggles in England at a press conference on Friday.
The Reds right-back is highly regarded at Anfield, having won every trophy available at the age of 23 but fourth choice for the Three Lions.
There is even speculation whether Alexander-Arnold will make the 26-man World Cup squad after manager Gareth Southgate made it clear that Chelsea’s Reece James, Man City’s Kyle Walker and Newcastle’s Kieran Trippier are ahead on the Liverpool man.
Alexander-Arnold didn’t play a single minute during the recent international break – and Klopp was asked about the situation ahead of the Premier League’s return.
“Do you really want to open this box?” he told a reporter.
“I think so, you’re an England journalist and we can’t discuss the selections before the World Cup starts, that’s one of the reasons why you make a massive fuss about these things.
“Why the team can’t prepare properly. If you ask me for my honest opinion, you will create headlines, that’s for sure.
“It helps Germany, maybe, it doesn’t help England. I don’t know why we do this.
“A manager chooses a player, or not, which I would obviously decide differently but I’m not in charge of this team and that’s how it is. If you want to discuss it, I have a lot to say but I don’t I’m not sure that makes sense.
Klopp finally gave his opinion and insisted he would choose Alexander-Arnold even if there were questions about his defensive abilities.
The German suggested a system with James in a back-three and Alexander-Arnold at the back.
Klopp said: “We’re good here because it’s completely different because I see it differently. It’s obvious.
“There are stories all the time about him saying he’s not a good defender, but that’s not true.
“He’s a good defender, he doesn’t always defend well, that’s also true, but that’s what we’re working on, he’s a young player, he’s 23.
“There is room for improvement, certainly, but we only discuss it at the level where we discuss it because its attacking impact is so extreme for us, it could be for every team in the world.
“My view is that it’s an easy choice. Whatever team I coach right now, I would sign him because he is exceptional.
“Is it still exceptional? No.
“The rest now is that it’s Gareth’s job to find a team, and England are obviously lucky to have a lot of really talented players in a similar position and it’s difficult to field them all together. .
“In this case it could work, Reece James can play in a three at the back and it would be interesting to see how they could swap positions.
“The only thing I can really say is that I see it differently, but that doesn’t mean it’s right or wrong.
“For Trent, he’s come back and accepts the manager’s decision because he understands football quite well, he’s an extremely smart lad. As a player you can never do more than offer what you can offer.
“In football there’s a guy who decides if it’s good enough or not and that’s the manager. Here more often than not it’s the case where he’s chosen and for England, obviously, nope.
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