"When the ball is at his feet, there aren't many better than him" - Luke Shaw lavishes praise on Liverpool superstar
Manchester United defender Luke Shaw has praised England teammate and Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold for his skill on the ball.
Alexander-Arnold thrived for the Reds in the final weeks of the 2022-23 club season after being moved from right-back into a hybrid midfield role. While the Englishman's creativity has always been lauded, it has shone even brighter after Jurgen Klopp seemingly reduced his defensive responsibilities.
England coach Gareth Southgate has deployed a similar tactic in his side's ongoing UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers and has reaped the rewards for it.
Shaw, who is with Alexander-Arnold in the Three Lions' camp, has now praised the Liverpool man's abilities on the ball. The left-back told talkSPORT (as quoted by @AnfieldEdition on Twitter):
“He is an unbelievable player, don’t get me wrong. He is so, so good. An incredible talent. When the ball is at his feet, then there aren’t many better than him.”
Luke Shaw on Alexander-Arnold: “He is an unbelievable player, don’t get me wrong. He is so, so good. An incredible talent. When the ball is at his feet, then there aren’t many better than him.” [@talkSPORT]
Shaw's comments came just days after Alexander-Arnold ran the show for England in their Euro qualifier against Malta on June 16.
He started on the right side of a midfield three alongside Declan Rice and Liverpool teammate Jordan Henderson. Alexander-Arnold scored a brilliant goal in the 28th minute to put his side 2-0 up, while contributing three key passes and completing all five of his dribble attempts.
The 24-year-old also won seven of his 10 duels and made two tackles in an excellent overall display, helping the Three Lions win the match 4-0.
"It's somewhere I enjoy playing" - Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold on operating in midfield
Following England's thrashing of Malta, Trent Alexander-Arnold explained that he now wants to regularly feature for the team. The Liverpool star received just 33 minutes of action during the Three Lions' 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign after missing all of UEFA Euro 2020 due to a hamstring injury.
Alexander-Arnold said about playing in midfield (as quoted by Sky Sports):
"It's about trying to be a regular name on the teamsheet. It's somewhere I enjoy playing."
He will now hope to get another start and impress once again when England take on North Macedonia at Old Trafford in a UEFA Euro 2024 qualifier on Monday, June 19. Alexander-Arnold has won 19 caps so far for his country, scoring twice and laying out four assists.