“I could not be any prouder of the man and the player he has become” – Pep Lijnders names player he's ‘blessed to have worked with’ at Liverpool
Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders has heaped praise on right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, saying he's proud of the Englishman and is blessed to work with him.
Alexander-Arnold, 23, came through the club's academy and has now become one of the best right-backs in the game. He has been one of the main creative outlets for Jurgen Klopp's side, making 45 assists in 161 appearances for the Reds across competitions.
The Englishman also holds the record for most assists (13) by a defender in a Premier League season, which he made in the Reds' title-winning campaign in 2019-20.
Who remembers this 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫 from @TrentAA? 🚀
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Lijnders was all praise for the England international in his book, 'Intensity: Inside Liverpool FC'. He wrote (via Mirror):
"I’m also blessed to have worked with some of the continent’s top talents, including our very own Trent Alexander-Arnold. Trent is the epitome of a successful training and coaching process with a young talent."
He added:
"I could not be any prouder of the man and the player he has become – from my captain at Under-16 level to one of the world’s best players, with every possible major club medal won by the age of 23. Even at the age of 15, he was this natural technical talent."
Alexander-Arnold made 12 assists in the Premier League last season, but the Reds missed out on the title to Manchester City by just one point.
"A leader by example" - Pep Lijnders believes Trent Alexander-Arnold could be a future Liverpool captain
Pep Lijnders talked about the attributes that make Trent Alexander-Arnold one of the best in the world at his position. He said that the Liverpool man has a positive aggression and passion to improve.
Lijnders wrote:
"He had all the characteristics I loved: a mentality to win, passionate to improve – but his emotions sometimes took control instead of him taking control over the emotions. He trained with so much power and competition."
The Dutchman added:
"He has this aggression in a positive way. If someone represents this quote of Bill Shankly, it’s him: ‘Playing at the highest level isn’t pressure, it’s a reward’. I see someone who controls his emotions, a future captain. A leader by example."
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson have 90 assists combined since the beginning of 2017/18... 🤯
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Alexander-Arnold (45) has the third-most assists by a defender in the Premier League. His teammate Andy Robertson is second with 49, while the retired Leighton Baines tops the list with 53. If he continues his exploits next season, Alexander-Arnold could go top of the list.