Trent Alexander-Arnold risked upsetting new manager with Liverpool preference shown
Trent Alexander-Arnold risked upsetting Thomas Tuchel by favouring Jurgen Klopp for the England job this time last year. The right-back broke through at Anfield under the stewardship of Klopp in 2016, going on to win a Premier League title, an FA Cup, an EFL Cup, a Community Shield and a Champions League alongside the German mastermind.
However, when Klopp called time on his nine-year tenure at Anfield at the end of 2023/24 and Gareth Southgate - with whom he earned most of his 34 caps at England - left his own job with the England national team following a loss in the final of Euro 2024, it didn't take Alexander-Arnold long to speak on the possibility of Klopp taking the reins of the Three Lions.
In an exclusive interview with Mirror Football last July, Alexander-Arnold drew parallels between the sentiments of Klopp and Southgate stepping down from their respective teams that he was a part of, while claiming he would love to see Klopp branch out into the international game.
He said: "It was similar to how I felt when my club manager Jurgen Klopp was leaving. They were the people who gave me my debuts, and made my dreams come true."
Asked about Klopp taking up tenure with the Three Lions, he added: "I enjoyed every moment I worked with him, we shared amazing memories, forged an amazing relationship, an amazing bond. So, of course, if that were to happen, we would pick up where we left off."
The 26-year-old did ultimately concede that it was unlikely that Klopp would take the job however, adding: "I would be surprised if he did take it. It was clear when he announced when he was leaving, the conversations I have had with him, everything on social media, he seems to be enjoying his time off, so it would be a huge surprise."
Former Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea, PSG and Bayern Munich boss Tuchel was named as Southgate's successor last October, and Alexander-Arnold's previous comments on a reunion with Klopp could have easily backfired on the star should the 51-year-old have been particularly touchy about them.
Thankfully, it appears as though Alexander-Arnold's opinion hasn't hampered his relationship with Tuchel, as he returned to the international set-up for last month's World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Senegal. Meanwhile, Tuchel was also very complimentary of Alexander-Arnold as his future at Liverpool was thrown into question towards the back end of last season.
The full-back entered 2024/25 in the final 12 months of his contract at Anfield, and found himself linked with a move to Real Madrid for the majority of the season before ultimately making the move to the Bernabeu at the end of May. And in June, Tuchel was quick to give Alexander-Arnold advice for his time with the La Liga giants should he hope to represent his nation during international tournaments.
He said: "Like every other player, he needs to play and get minutes, and be competitive on the highest level. It's as easy as that. There was a lot going on for Trent in the last weeks.
"Even now with the change of city, change of environment, change of country, change of club. Let's see. I wish him all the best and he was in camp and like every other player be there, be competitive, find your place, keep your place, and be ready for nomination in September.
"Trent is Trent. He's a special player, it makes not so much sense to focus on a part of his game that's not his strength. We all know what he can give to a team. If he steps up to his highest level he will always be in contention for nomination."
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