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'Trent is a top player' - England have to find room for Alexander-Arnold at European Championships, says Crouch
The former Anfield favourite thinks Gareth Southgate will need the full-back at this summer's tournament despite his erratic club form
England have to find room for Trent Alexander-Arnold at the European Championships because he is a "top player", according to Peter Crouch.
Alexander-Arnold was a surprise omission from Gareth Southgate's latest England squad last week, with Reece James, Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier picked ahead of him at right-back for the upcoming 2022 World Cup qualifiers.
Crouch is now worried that the Reds defender will miss out on this summer's Euros, which he thinks would be a real shame considering his talents.
What's been said?
"The selection - or should that be ‘no-selection’ - that surprised me most of all involved Trent Alexander-Arnold," the former Liverpool striker told the Daily Mail. "It feels now like Reece James will be going to the Euros ahead of him, provided he stays fit.
"I like James, he’s had an outstanding season but if Trent doesn’t go to the tournament it will remind me of the time Sven Goran Eriksson overlooked Jermain Defoe for Theo Walcott in 2006. Trent is a top player and surely you have to find a place for him in the squad?"
Why was Alexander-Arnold left out?
Alexander-Arnold played a key role in Liverpool's run to Champions League and Premier League glory over the past two seasons, but his form has taken a dramatic turn for the worse in 2020-21.
The 22-year-old has faced plenty of criticism for his defending in recent months, while his contribution in the final third has also dwindled amid the Reds' slide down the top-flight standings.
Southgate said of his decision to drop Alexander-Arnold on Thursday: "There are areas where we have incredible competition for places. Trent is very unfortunate but I don't think he's played at the level that he found in the last couple of years."
Alexander-Arnold's record for England
Alexander-Arnold was handed his first senior cap for the Three Lions in a friendly against Costa Rica in June 2018 after being selected in Southgate's final squad for the World Cup finals in Russia.
The Liverpool star only featured once in that tournament with Trippier first choice at right-back, but he has since appeared in 10 more games for England, including a 2-1 win over Belgium in the UEFA Nations League last October.
