Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold Admits He Was Reluctant to Take Free-Kick Against Hoffenheim

Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has admitted that he was "egged on" to take his first-half free-kick in Tuesday night's 2-1 Champions League qualifier win against Hoffenheim.

The 18-year-old found the net with a superbly taken set-piece as his side emerged from Germany with a lead ahead of the second leg at Anfield.

While Alexander-Arnold expressed his delight at putting Liverpool in front, he was quick to point out that he was slightly reluctant to step up for the free-kick.

"It's a thing of dreams to make your European debut for your boyhood club and especially to mark it with a goal," he said, quoted by the Daily Mail.

"I kind of got egged on to take it to be honest. I never put my hand up at first but I had the confidence to finally take it and it paid off."

Manager Jurgen Klopp was full of praise for the youngster, and refused to criticise him for an error which allowed the hosts' Mark Uth to score late on.

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"I have to say for an 18-year-old to have the balls to kick a free kick like that is more interesting and exciting for me than a little mistake he made," Klopp said. "It was a very intense game for him. He has a few things to learn. He's a great player.

"I told him he has to do it. Maybe in a situation like this it helps if the manager says 'Trent takes it'. A little bit lucky, the wall didn't jump, but a very good free-kick.

"If somebody would've told me that you definitely win tonight, I would've even taken 8-7. I'm happy. They deserved the goal over the 90 minutes with their effort. But I also thought we played really well defensively."