Trent Alexander-Arnold Reveals He Changed Position to Earn Spot in Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool Side
Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has revealed that he is naturally more comfortable as a central midfielder, but the youngster is eager to play wherever he is needed.
The 20-year-old has established himself as one of England's finest right-backs since making his breakthrough into the Liverpool side in 2016, featuring heavily for both club and country in the position in recent years.
However, in an interview with BBC Sport, Alexander-Arnold revealed that he spent the majority of his youth playing as a midfielder.
He said: "When I was younger I was always a defensive centre-mid player - someone who liked to get on the ball and make things happen. I am happy to play wherever the boss wants me. At the moment he sees me as a full-back and I am happy there. It is important to bring in different dimensions to the position.
"When I was growing up Ashley Cole came in and showed that you don't just have to be a defender. You can go forward and attack. He showed what full-backs can be.
"The dream is to win everything possible for my club and country. I want to be a legend for Liverpool and England. Hopefully one day I can be captain for them both."
In his 71 appearances for the club, Alexander-Arnold has featured as a central midfielder just once, against Stoke City towards the end of the last Premier League season. His ball-playing abilities have regularly been on show, with the 20-year-old grabbing three assists in February's 5-0 victory over Watford.
In total, he has racked up four goals and ten assists in all competitions, as he has proven to be a vital part of Liverpool's challenge for the league title. However, despite his impressive form, Alexander-Arnold insists that he is simply focused on winning matches.
OLI SCARFF/GettyImages
He added: "At times you can feel the supporter's expectations. We know Liverpool fans are so passionate. We can hopefully give them performances that they can go home and talk about the next day. That is the main thing for us - to give them a reason to come back.
"We know how hard it is to win a league title. You have to be consistent across a full season. Quite a few of the lads have never been in this position before, including myself. It is important for us to enjoy it, learn from it and just see how it goes."
