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Trent John Alexander-Arnold (born 7 October 1998), also known
mononymously
A mononym is a name composed of only one word. An individual who is known and addressed by a mononym is a mononymous person.
A mononym may be the person's only name, given to them at birth. This was routine in most ancient societies, and remains ...
as Trent, is an English professional footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who plays as a right-back
In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
Defenders fall into four main categories: centre-backs, full-backs, sweepers ...
or midfielder
In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...
for La Liga
The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known as the Primera División or La Liga, and officially known as LaLiga EA Sports for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Spain and the highest ...
club Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional Football club (association football), football club based in Madrid. The club competes in La Liga, th ...
and the England national team Team England usually refers to the name under which athletes representing Commonwealth Games England compete.
England team or Team England may refer to:
*Commonwealth Games England
*England national football team
*England cricket team
*England nat ...
. Considered one of the best right-backs in the world, he is known for his range of passing, crossing and assists, as well as his set-piece taking ability. Owing to such capabilities, Alexander-Arnold has also occasionally been deployed as a midfielder for both club and country.
Alexander-Arnold joined Liverpool
Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
's academy
An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...
in 2004 and captained the club across its youth levels. He made his senior debut in 2016, at age 18, and played in back-to-back UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...
finals in 2018
Events January
* January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency.
* January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
and 2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
, winning the latter, and being named in the Champions League Squad of the Season. These appearances made him the youngest player to start in consecutive finals in the competition. In the same year, he won the UEFA Super Cup
The UEFA Super Cup is an annual super cup Association football, football match organised by UEFA and contested by the winners of the two main European club competitions: the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. The competition's offic ...
and the FIFA Club World Cup
The FIFA Club World Cup (FIFA CWC) is an international men's association football competition organised by the ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' (FIFA), the sport's global sports governing body, governing body. The compe ...
. In domestic football, Alexander-Arnold was named the 2019–20 PFA Young Player of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year (often called the PFA Young Player of the Year, or simply the Young Player of the Year) is an annual award given to the young player who is adjudged to have been the best of the ...
and the inaugural Premier League Young Player of the Season
The Premier League Young Player of the Season is an annual English football award, presented to the best player aged 23 or younger in the Premier League. For sponsorship purposes, it is known as the Hublot Young Player of the Season since the 20 ...
, has thrice been named in the PFA Team of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year (often called the PFA Team of the Year, or simply the Team of the Year) is an annual award given to a set of 55 footballers across the top four tiers of men's Football in England, En ...
, and helped end Liverpool's 30-year league title drought by winning the 2019–20 Premier League
The 2019–20 Premier League was the 28th season of the Premier League, the top English professional association football, football league, since its establishment in 1992, and the 121st season of top-flight English football overall. The season ...
. His success in 2020 led to his selection in the FIFA FIFPRO Men's World 11. In the 2021–22 season, he claimed a domestic cup double, winning the EFL Cup
The English Football League Cup, often referred to as the League Cup and currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout competition in men's domestic football in England.
Orga ...
and FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
. In 2025, after helping Liverpool to their second Premier League title, Alexander-Arnold joined La Liga club Real Madrid.
Alexander-Arnold has also represented England at various youth levels and made his senior debut in 2018. He has since featured at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for national association football, football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awarded t ...
, where he became only the fourth teenager to start a match for England in the tournament, in the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League
The 2018–19 UEFA Nations League was the inaugural season of the UEFA Nations League, an international association football competition involving the men's national teams of the 55 member associations of UEFA. The league phase of the competition ...
, where his nation finished in third place in the inaugural edition of the competition, and the 2022 World Cup
The 2022 FIFA World Cup was the 22nd FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for national football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December 2022, after the country was awarded the hosting ri ...
.
Early life, education and early career
Trent John Alexander-Arnold was born on 7 October 1998 in theWest Derby
West Derby ( ) is an area of Liverpool, Merseyside, England, in the east of the city. At the 2011 Census, the population was 14,382.
History West Derby
Mentioned in the ''Domesday Book'', West Derby achieved significance far earlier tha ...
suburb of Liverpool
Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
, Merseyside. He attended St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, before later enrolling at St Mary's College in Crosby Crosby may refer to:
Places Canada
*Crosby, Ontario, part of the township of Rideau Lakes, Ontario
*Crosby, Ontario, a neighbourhood in the city of Markham, Ontario
England
*Crosby, Cumbria
*Crosby, Lincolnshire
*Crosby, Merseyside
**Crosby (UK P ...
. When he was six years old, local football club Liverpool
Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
hosted a half-term camp to which a number of pupils from his school were invited, and his was one of the names drawn from a hat to attend. There, he was spotted by academy coach Ian Barrigan who subsequently approached his parents to offer him the chance to join the club's academy. He began training two-to-three times a week, and in a variety of different positions, before later going on to captain the club at U16 and U18 level under coach Pepijn Lijnders
Pepijn Lijnders (born 24 January 1983) is a Dutch football manager who
is assistant coach at Premier League club Manchester City.
Lijnders has predominantly worked as a backroom staff coach, most notably spending two spells as Jurgen Klopp's ...
. In the intervening period, at the age of 14, he left St Mary's to enroll at Rainhill High School
Rainhill High School is a coeducational secondary school and sixth form located in Rainhill, Merseyside, England.
The school is the official Liverpool F.C. Academy Education Centre in Merseyside for under-18 players to be educated. Notable for ...
, an educational institution which shares an affiliation with the football club.
During his time in Liverpool's academy, Alexander-Arnold converted from a wide midfielder
In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. ...
to a right-back
In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
Defenders fall into four main categories: centre-backs, full-backs, sweepers ...
. It was the position that offered him the clearest path to the first team and he excelled in his new role, being singled out by former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard
Steven George Gerrard MBE (born 30 May 1980) is an English professional football manager and a former player. Widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all time and one of Liverpool's greatest ever players,2015–16 season, Alexander-Arnold was selected in the first team squad by
Having previously taken part in Liverpool's pre-season tour of the United States, Alexander-Arnold made his professional debut on 25 October 2016, starting in a 2–1 victory over
In March the following year, Alexander-Arnold endured his most difficult spell with the club to date, after struggling against
In March 2018, while part of the U21 team, Alexander-Arnold was invited to train with the senior national team for the first time ahead of their friendly matches against
Alexander-Arnold is the nephew of former
Profile
at the Real Madrid CF website
Profile
at the Liverpool F.C. website
Profile
at the Football Association website * {{DEFAULTSORT:Alexander-Arnold, Trent 1998 births Living people Footballers from Liverpool English men's footballers Men's association football defenders Men's association football midfielders Liverpool F.C. players Real Madrid CF players Premier League players UEFA Champions League–winning players England men's youth international footballers England men's under-21 international footballers England men's international footballers 2018 FIFA World Cup players 2022 FIFA World Cup players UEFA Euro 2024 players English expatriate men's footballers Expatriate men's footballers in Spain English expatriate sportspeople in Spain Black British sportsmen 21st-century Black British people 21st-century English sportsmen
manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...
Brendan Rodgers
Brendan Rodgers (born 26 January 1973) is a Northern Irish professional football manager and former player who is manager of Scottish Premiership club Celtic.
Rodgers began his career as a defender at Ballymena United, where he stayed until h ...
for the team's final pre-season friendly against Swindon Town
Swindon Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. The team, known as the "Robins", currently compete in , the fourth level of the English football league system.
Founded as Swindon A ...
where he marked his unofficial debut for the club in a 2–1 win.
Club career
Liverpool
2016–17: Development and breakthrough
Having previously taken part in Liverpool's pre-season tour of the United States, Alexander-Arnold made his professional debut on 25 October 2016, starting in a 2–1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Tottenham (, , , ) or Spurs, is a professional Association football, football club based in Tottenham, North London, England. The club itself has stated that it should always ...
in the fourth round of the EFL Cup
The English Football League Cup, often referred to as the League Cup and currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout competition in men's domestic football in England.
Orga ...
. He was booked in the first half for a foul on Ben Davies, which he later revealed could have ended in him being sent off, before being substituted
Substitution may refer to:
Arts and media
*Substitution (poetry), a variation in poetic scansion
*Substitution (theatre), an acting methodology
Music
*Chord substitution, swapping one chord for a related one within a chord progression
*Tritone ...
for first-choice right-back Nathaniel Clyne
Nathaniel Edwin Clyne (born 5 April 1991) is an English professional footballer who plays as a right-back or right wing-back and occasionally centre-back for club Crystal Palace.
A Crystal Palace academy graduate, Clyne made his senior debu ...
in the 68th minute. Despite the indiscretion, his performance earned a spot in the EFL Cup Team of the Round alongside teammate Daniel Sturridge
Daniel Andre Sturridge Johnson (born 1 September 1989) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker. Since 2023, he has worked as a television pundit for Sky Sports.
Sturridge was scouted by Aston Villa and played for ...
.
Alexander-Arnold's breakthrough into the first team was rewarded with a new long-term contract in November and he started in Liverpool's next EFL Cup match later that month against Leeds United
Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system.
Leeds United have won the League Championship th ...
. He was named man of the match
In team sport, a player of the match award (also known as man of the match or woman of the match) is often given to the most outstanding player in a particular match. This can be a player from either team, although the player is generally chose ...
for his performance after registering his first assist for the club by setting up striker Divock Origi
Divock Okoth Origi (born 18 April 1995) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a striker for club AC Milan. Following 8 July 2024, he is no longer part of their first team squad, and currently trains with and is listed in the squad ...
for the opening goal of a 2–0 win for Liverpool. He then made his Premier League debut on 14 December, coming on as a late substitute in a 3–0 win over Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough ( ), colloquially known as Boro, is a port town in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. Lying to the south of the River Tees, Middlesbrough forms part of the Teesside Built up area, built-up area and the Tees Va ...
, and made his first league start in a 1–1 draw with Manchester United
Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
on 15 January 2017. In May, having made 12 appearances across all competitions, he was named Liverpool's Young Player of the Season and was also nominated for the Premier League 2
The Professional Development League is a system of Football in England, English youth association football, football leagues that are managed, organised and controlled by the Premier League or by the Football League. It was introduced by the Th ...
Player of the Season award.
2017–18: First Champions League final
In the buildup to the 2017–18 season, regular right-back Clyne suffered a serious back injury which afforded Alexander-Arnold the opportunity to rotate withJoe Gomez
Joseph Dave Gomez (born 23 May 1997) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for club Liverpool and the England national team.
Gomez began his career at Charlton Athletic, breaking into the first team at 17 and playi ...
during the early stages of the campaign. On 15 August 2017, he scored his first goal for the club when he struck home from a free kick
A free kick is an action used in several codes of football to restart play with the kicking of a ball into the field of play.
Association football
In association football, the free kick is a method of restarting the game following an offe ...
in a 2–1 first leg Champions League play-off round win over Bundesliga
The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany and the highest level of the German football league system. The Bundesliga comprises 18 teams ...
team 1899 Hoffenheim
Turn- und Sportgemeinschaft 1899 Hoffenheim e.V. (), commonly known as TSG Hoffenheim (), are a German professional football club based in Sinsheim.
Originally founded in 1899 as a gymnastics club, Hoffenheim came into being in their modern for ...
. In doing so, he became the third youngest player to score on his European debut for Liverpool, after Michael Owen
Michael James Owen (born 14 December 1979) is an English former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Striker (association football), striker for Liverpool F.C., Liverpool, Real Madrid CF, Real Madrid, Newcastle United ...
and David Fairclough
David Fairclough (born 5 January 1957) is an English retired professional footballer, most famous for playing for Liverpool as a striker during the 1970s and 1980s.
Life and playing career
Known affectionately as ''Supersub'' (because he was ...
. During the group stages of the competition, Alexander-Arnold scored again in a 7–0 Champions League win over Maribor
Maribor ( , , ; also known by other #Name, historical names) is the List of cities and towns in Slovenia, second-largest city in Slovenia and the largest city of the traditional region of Styria (Slovenia), Lower Styria. It is the seat of the ...
on 17 October, a result which was the joint-largest ever away win in the competition, and largest away win by an English club. He then scored his first Premier League goal for Liverpool on 26 December in a 5–0 home win over Swansea City
Swansea City Association Football Club ( ; ) is a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. It competes in the EFL Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Swansea have played their home matches at ...
.
In March the following year, Alexander-Arnold endured his most difficult spell with the club to date, after struggling against Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace may refer to:
Places Canada
* Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick
* Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario
* Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition buildin ...
winger Wilfried Zaha
Dazet Wilfried Armel Zaha (born 10 November 1992) is a professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football)#Winger, winger for Major League Soccer club Charlotte FC, Charlotte, on loan from Süper Lig club ...
and Manchester United's Marcus Rashford
Marcus Rashford (born 31 October 1997) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for Premier League club Aston Villa F.C., Aston Villa, on Loan (association football), lo ...
in successive weeks. Nonetheless, he retained his position in Liverpool's starting line-up to become the youngest English player to start in a Champions League quarter-final match and performed strongly in a 3–0 win over English rivals Manchester City
Manchester City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the English football league system, top flight of Football in England, English footbal ...
in April. His performance saw him named man of the match and earned him praise from the media for his ability to nullify City winger Leroy Sané
Leroy Aziz Sané (; born 11 January 1996) is a German professional footballer who plays as a winger for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich and the Germany national team. He will join Süper Lig club Galatasaray on 1 July 2025.
Sané made his prof ...
. He impressed again in the reverse fixture as Liverpool eliminated City 5–1 on aggregate to advance to the semi-finals of the competition for the first time in 10 years. On 10 May, his domestic and European form was rewarded when he won the Liverpool Young Player of the Season award for the second season running. Later that month, he became the youngest Liverpool player to start in a Champions League final when he was named in the starting line-up against two-time reigning champions, Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional Football club (association football), football club based in Madrid. The club competes in La Liga, th ...
. Tasked with marking Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (; born 5 February 1985) is a Portuguese professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for and Captain (association football), captains both Saudi Pr ...
, he performed admirably though Liverpool ultimately succumbed to a 3–1 defeat. Following the conclusion of the season, in which he scored three goals in 33 appearances across all competitions, he was nominated for the Golden Boy award where he was later voted runner-up to Ajax
Ajax may refer to:
Greek mythology and tragedy
* Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea
* Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris
* Ajax (play), ''Ajax'' (play), by the an ...
defender, Matthijs de Ligt
Matthijs de Ligt (born 12 August 1999) is a Dutch professional association football, footballer who plays as a centre-back for Premier League club Manchester United F.C., Manchester United and the Netherlands national football team, Netherlands ...
.
2018–19: Regular starter and Champions League title
During the early stages of the following season, he made his 50th appearance for Liverpool when he started in a 2–1 victory over Tottenham; the same opposition against whom he had made his debut almost two years prior. In October, he was one of 10 players nominated for the inauguralKopa Trophy
The Kopa Trophy is an association football award presented to the best performing player worldwide under the age of 21 during a joint ceremony with the Ballon d'Or. The award is presented by ''France Football'' and is named after late French foot ...
, an award presented by ''France Football
''France Football'' is a French monthly magazine containing football news from all over the world. It is considered to be one of the most reputable sports publications in Europe, mostly because of its photographic reports, in-depth and exclus ...
'' to the best young player under the age of 21, and ultimately ended sixth in the voting polls, having received votes from Owen, Denis Law
Denis Law (24 February 1940 – 17 January 2025) was a Scottish footballer who played as a forward. His career as a football player began at Second Division Huddersfield Town in 1956. After four years at Huddersfield, he was signed by Manchest ...
and Pavel Nedvěd
Pavel Nedvěd (; born 30 August 1972) is a Czech former professional Association football, footballer who played as a midfielder. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Czech players of all time and he won numerous trophies with Italian cl ...
. He continued to enhance his burgeoning reputation in the months thereafter and was consistently listed in reports by the CIES as the world's most valuable full-back from a transfer value perspective. Alexander-Arnold elevated his game further following the turn of the year and, on 27 February 2019, became the youngest player, aged 20 years and 143 days, to record three assists in a single Premier League match when he set up Sadio Mané
Sadio Mané (born 10 April 1992) is a Senegalese professional footballer who plays as a forward or left winger for Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr and the Senegal national team. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest African players o ...
twice and Virgil van Dijk
Virgil van Dijk (; born 8 July 1991) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for and captains both club Liverpool and the Netherlands national team. Widely regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation and ...
once in a 5–0 win over Watford
Watford () is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne.
Initially a smal ...
. Less than two months later, he became the fifth-youngest player to reach 50 Premier League appearances for the club, behind Owen, Raheem Sterling
Raheem Shaquille Sterling (born 8 December 1994) is a professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Winger (association football), winger for club Chelsea F.C., Chelsea.
Sterling began his career at Queens Park Rangers F.C., Que ...
, Robbie Fowler
Robert Bernard Fowler (born 9 April 1975) is an English football coach and former player. He most recently managed Saudi First Division League side Al-Qadsiah.
As a player, he was a striker, and is the ninth-highest goalscorer in the histor ...
and Gerrard, when he started in a 3–1 win over Southampton
Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...
. His domestic form was rewarded later in April when he was nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year (often called the PFA Young Player of the Year, or simply the Young Player of the Year) is an annual award given to the young player who is adjudged to have been the best of the ...
award, although the award was won by Manchester City's Sterling, and he was later named in the PFA Team of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year (often called the PFA Team of the Year, or simply the Team of the Year) is an annual award given to a set of 55 footballers across the top four tiers of men's Football in England, En ...
alongside Liverpool teammates Van Dijk, Mané and Andrew Robertson
Andrew Henry Robertson (born 11 March 1994) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays at left-back for club Liverpool and captains the Scotland national team. He is regarded as one of the best left-backs of his generation and one of th ...
.
Alexander-Arnold's creative prowess came to the fore once again in May when, during a 3–2 win over Newcastle United
Newcastle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Since th ...
, Alexander-Arnold equalled the Premier League record for the most assists by a defender in a season, with his two assists in the match raising his tally to 11. It also saw him and Robertson, who had 11 assists of his own, become the first set of defenders from the same team to record double figures for assists in the same season. Three days later, with Liverpool trailing Barcelona
Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
3–0 on aggregate after a first-leg defeat, he recorded two more assists, including an "instinctive corner" for Origi's winning goal, to help the club to a 4–3 aggregate victory and progress to a second consecutive Champions League final. On the final day of the domestic season, Alexander-Arnold assisted Mané in a 2–0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club ( ), commonly referred to as Wolves, is a professional association football, football club based in Wolverhampton, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league s ...
to break the Premier League record for the most assists by a defender in a domestic campaign, with 12, surpassing previous holders Andy Hinchcliffe, Leighton Baines
Leighton John Baines (born 11 December 1984) is an English football coach and former professional footballer who played as a left-back. He is currently the assistant manager of Premier League club Everton.
Baines started his career with Wigan ...
and Robertson. He then started in the Champions League Final, a 2–0 win over Tottenham, and became the youngest player to start in two successive finals in the competition, breaking the record set by AC Milan
(), commonly referred to as Milan or AC Milan () mainly outside of Italy, is an Italian professional Football club (association football), football club based in Milan, Lombardy. Founded in 1899, the club competes in the Serie A, the top tie ...
's Christian Panucci
Christian Panucci (; born 12 April 1973) is an Italian former footballer and manager. In his playing career he played as a defender. A versatile footballer, he began his career as a right-back, but was also capable of playing on the left; as he ...
in 1995. He was later named in the competition's Team of the Season and nominated for the Defender of the Season award.
2019–20: Ballon d'Or nomination and Premier League title
Alexander-Arnold began the 2019–20 season with his position as Liverpool's right-back cemented, and provided the assist for Origi's goal in the club's 4–1 opening game win overNorwich City
Norwich City Football Club is a professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk, England. The club competes in the Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was founded in 1902. Since 1935, Norwich have played their h ...
. In doing so, he became only the eighth player in the Premier League era to register an assist in five consecutive games, and the first to do so for Liverpool. He appeared in subsequent wins over Southampton and Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
, as well as in Liverpool's triumph over Chelsea in the UEFA Super Cup
The UEFA Super Cup is an annual super cup Association football, football match organised by UEFA and contested by the winners of the two main European club competitions: the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. The competition's offic ...
where he scored a penalty in the shoot-out. He then scored his first goal of the season during Liverpool's 2–1 league win over the Blues from a set-piece routine that was later nominated for the Premier League Goal of the Month
The Premier League Goal of the Month is an association football award that recognises the player who is deemed to have scored the best Premier League goal each month of the season from August to April. The winner is chosen by a combination of ...
award. The following month, he was nominated for the 2019 Ballon d'Or
The 2019 Ballon d'Or (French: ''Ballon d'Or'') was the 64th annual ceremony of the Ballon d'Or, presented by France Football, and recognising the best footballers in the world for 2019. Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi won his record-breaking s ...
award, alongside six of his Liverpool teammates.
On 2 November, at the age of 21 years and 26 days, he became the fourth-youngest player to reach 100 appearances for Liverpool, behind Owen, Sterling and Fowler, and marked the occasion by assisting Mané for the winning goal in a 2–1 victory over Aston Villa
Aston Villa Football Club (commonly referred to as simply Villa) is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club, founded in 1874, compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The team have p ...
. Exactly one month later, he was voted as the 19th-best player in the world at the Ballon d'Or ceremony, and the highest-ranked full-back. He then made his FIFA Club World Cup
The FIFA Club World Cup (FIFA CWC) is an international men's association football competition organised by the ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' (FIFA), the sport's global sports governing body, governing body. The compe ...
debut during Liverpool's 2–1 semi-final win over reigning CONCACAF
The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football, abbreviated as CONCACAF ( ; typeset for branding purposes since 2018 as Concacaf), is one of FIFA's six continental governing bodies for association football. Its 4 ...
champions Monterrey
Monterrey (, , abbreviated as MtY) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern Mexican state of Nuevo León. It is the ninth-largest city and the second largest metropolitan area, after Greater Mexico City. Located at the foothills of th ...
, and provided the match-winning assist for Roberto Firmino
Roberto Firmino Barbosa de Oliveira (born 2 October 1991) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward or attacking midfielder for Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli, which he captains.
After starting his career with Figueiren ...
in stoppage time after coming on as a substitute for James Milner
James Philip Milner (born 4 January 1986) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Brighton & Hove Albion. A versatile player, Milner has played in multiple positions, including on either wing, in midfield and ...
. Three days later, he started and played the full 120 minutes as Liverpool were crowned champions for the first time in the club's history following a 1–0 win after extra time
Overtime (OT) or extra time (ET) is an additional period of play to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw where the scores are the same. In some sports, this extra period is played only if the game is required t ...
over Copa Libertadores
The CONMEBOL Libertadores, also known as Copa Libertadores de América (), is an annual continental club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960. It is the highest level of competition in South American club football. The tournam ...
champions Flamengo
Clube de Regatas do Flamengo (; ), more commonly referred to as simply Flamengo, is a Brazilian multi sports club based in Rio de Janeiro, in the neighborhood of Gávea. It was founded and named after the Flamengo, Rio de Janeiro, Flamengo n ...
.
Upon returning from Qatar, Liverpool recorded a 4–0 league win over second-placed Leicester City
Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...
during a match in which Alexander-Arnold played a hand in all four goals by scoring one, assisting two, and winning a penalty which was converted by Milner. He was later rewarded for his form with the Premier League Player of the Month
The Premier League Player of the Month is an association football award that recognises the best adjudged Premier League player each month of the season. The winner is chosen by a combination of an online public vote, which contributes to 1 ...
award, becoming the first full-back to claim the honour since Micah Richards
Micah Lincoln Richards (born 24 June 1988) is an English Association football, football pundit and former professional player who played as a right-back.
Richards began his senior career with Manchester City F.C., Manchester City and made 245 a ...
in 2007. Further recognition followed at the turn of the year, when he was named in the 2019 UEFA Team of the Year. Alexander-Arnold then played a starring role in Liverpool's 2–1 win over Wolves as the club extended their unbeaten run in the league to 40 matches. During the encounter, he assisted captain Jordan Henderson
Jordan Brian Henderson (born 17 June 1990) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Eredivisie club Ajax, which he captains, and the England national team. He is noted for his leadership, versatility, and physicali ...
for the opening goal and in the process became the first defender in the competition's history to reach double figures for assists in multiple campaigns.
Towards the end of February, following a 3–2 win over West Ham United
West Ham United Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Stratford, London, Stratford, East London, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English f ...
, he matched his league assist record from the season before and took his overall tally in the Premier League to 25, becoming the third-youngest player in the competition's history to reach a quarter-century of assists behind Cesc Fàbregas
Francesc Fàbregas Soler (; ; born 4 May 1987) is a Spanish professional football manager and former player who played as a central midfielder. He is currently the head coach of club Como.
Fàbregas came through La Masia, Barcelona's you ...
and Wayne Rooney
Wayne Mark Rooney (born 24 October 1985) is an English professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Association football, player who was most recently the head coach of EFL Championship club Plymouth Argyle F.C., Pl ...
. The season was temporarily suspended between March and June due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, following which Alexander-Arnold helped Liverpool win their first league title in 30 years, and their first in the Premier League era. With the title secured, he then broke his own assist record on the penultimate day of the season when he set Firmino up to score in a 5–3 win over Chelsea. For his contributions during the season, he was awarded the inaugural Premier League Young Player of the Season
The Premier League Young Player of the Season is an annual English football award, presented to the best player aged 23 or younger in the Premier League. For sponsorship purposes, it is known as the Hublot Young Player of the Season since the 20 ...
award, won the PFA Young Player of the Year accolade and was named in the PFA Team of the Year.
2020–21: Continued success
Alexander-Arnold continued to feature prominently for Liverpool during the 2020–21 season and, on 9 December, became the youngest player to captain the club in European competition, and third-youngest in any competition, when he donned the armband during a 1–1 Champions League draw againstMidtjylland
The Central Denmark Region (), or more directly translated as the Central Jutland Region and sometimes simply Mid-Jutland, is an administrative region of Denmark established on 1 January 2007 as part of the 2007 Danish municipal reform. The refo ...
. Later that month, he was named in the 2020 FIFA FIFPro Men's World 11 alongside teammates Alisson
Álisson Ramsés Becker (born 2 October 1992), better known as Alisson Becker or simply Alisson, is a Brazilian professional association football, footballer who plays as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper for club Liverpool F.C. ...
, Van Dijk and Thiago, althewhile Liverpool set about its domestic title defence by topping the league standings by Christmas.
However, both his and the club's form waned in the second half of the season which culminated in Alexander-Arnold's highly publicised omission from Gareth Southgate
Sir Gareth Southgate (born 3 September 1970) is an English professional Association football, football manager and player, who played as a Defender (association football), defender and midfielder.
A Crystal Palace F.C., Crystal Palace Crystal ...
's England squad for March's 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
The 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification was the FIFA World Cup qualification, qualifying process which decided the 31 teams that would join hosts Qatar national football team, Qatar, who received an automatic spot, at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Par ...
matches against San Marino
San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino, is a landlocked country in Southern Europe, completely surrounded by Italy. Located on the northeastern slopes of the Apennine Mountains, it is the larger of two European microstates, microsta ...
, Albania
Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...
and Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
. As a result, his performances came under intense scrutiny following the international break and he was criticised for making defensive errors during Liverpool's 3–1 defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League. In the Premier League, his form improved and he was lauded for his game-winning performances against Arsenal and Aston Villa, scoring the winning goal in the 90th minute of the latter fixture, and was shortlisted for the Premier League Player of the Month award for April. The following month, he recorded back-to-back assists in victories away to Manchester United, where Liverpool won for the first time in seven years, and West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion Football Club (), commonly known as West Brom or The Albion, is a professional association football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the Englis ...
, where his 94th-minute corner was headed home by goalkeeper Becker to keep the club's hopes of qualifying for the following season's Champions League alive.
2021–22: Career milestones and domestic double
On 30 July, Alexander-Arnold signed a new long-term contract with Liverpool. On 16 December, Alexander-Arnold scored Liverpool's third goal in a 3–1 home win against Newcastle United with a 25-yard strike into the top left corner of the goal in what was Liverpool's 2,000th top-flight win, the first club in English history to reach this landmark. In May 2022, following Liverpool's victory over Chelsea in the 2022 FA Cup Final, Alexander-Arnold became the youngest-ever player to win six major trophies, namely the FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup, for an English club, doing so at the age of 23 years and 219 days. Alexander-Arnold came 22nd in the2022 Ballon d'Or
The 2022 Ballon d'Or () was the 66th annual presentation of the Ballon d'Or, presented by ''France Football'', recognising the best footballers in the world during the 2021–22 season. For the first time in the history of the award, it was give ...
as Liverpool narrowly missed out on a historic quadruple, finishing in 2nd place in the Premier League and once again losing the Champions League final to Real Madrid. Alexander-Arnold was selected as part of the Champions League Team of the Season.
2022–23: Minor change of position and further success
Following a sub-standard run of club form, Liverpool managerJürgen Klopp
Jürgen Norbert Klopp (; born 16 June 1967) is a German football executive and former Manager (association football), manager and Football player, player. He is widely regarded as one of the best football managers in the world. Klopp has been ...
decided to switch Alexander-Arnold to an inverted full-back role, allowing him to see more of the ball and play further up the pitch. In this role, Alexander-Arnold shifted next to a defensive midfielder, in front of three defenders, when Liverpool were in possession. This switch proved to be the catalyst for an improved run of individual and club form. On 17 April 2023, Alexander-Arnold provided his 50th assist in the Premier League in a victory away to Leeds United. On 30 April 2023, Alexander-Arnold became the first person to assist a goal in five consecutive Premier League matches twice. However, at the end of the 2022–23 season, Liverpool narrowly missed out on UEFA Champions League qualification.
2023–24: vice-captaincy
On 31 July 2023, following the departure ofJames Milner
James Philip Milner (born 4 January 1986) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Brighton & Hove Albion. A versatile player, Milner has played in multiple positions, including on either wing, in midfield and ...
, Alexander-Arnold was named as Liverpool's new vice-captain, acting as deputy to Virgil van Dijk
Virgil van Dijk (; born 8 July 1991) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for and captains both club Liverpool and the Netherlands national team. Widely regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation and ...
. On 25 November 2023, he scored his first goal of the 2023–24 season, an equaliser against Manchester City in a 1–1 draw at the City of Manchester Stadium
The City of Manchester Stadium, currently known as Etihad Stadium for sponsorship reasons, and commonly shortened as The Etihad, is the home of Premier League club Manchester City F.C., Manchester City, with a domestic football capacity of 53, ...
. On 7 January 2024, during a match against Arsenal, Alexander-Arnold hyperextended his knee, causing him to suffer a small tear in a lateral ligament. He was ruled out for an estimated three weeks following the injury. On 10 February, he assisted Diogo Jota's goal against Burnley, making him the defender with the highest number of assists in Premier League history, overtaking his Liverpool teammate Andrew Robertson.
2024–25: Second Premier League title and departure
On 17 August 2024, Alexander-Arnold started at right back and played 76 minutes inArne Slot
Arend Martijn "Arne" Slot (; born 17 September 1978) is a Dutch professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Football player, player who is the head coach of club Liverpool F.C., Liverpool. He is regarded as one of t ...
's first match as Liverpool manager, a 2–0 win over Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town Football Club is a professional football club based in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. The club currently competes in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football.
Ipswich Town were founded in 1878 but did not turn ...
in the team's opening match of the 2024–25 Premier League season. During the 3–3 draw against Newcastle United
Newcastle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Since th ...
at St. James' Park
St James' Park is a football stadium in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is the home of Newcastle United. With a seating capacity of 52,305, it is the 8th largest football stadium in England.
St James' Park has been the home ground of New ...
, Alexander-Arnold contributed two assists from the substitutes bench, becoming the first defender in Premier League history to record 60 assists. On 29 December, Alexander-Arnold scored his first goal of the season netting the fourth in a 5–0 win away at West Ham United
West Ham United Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Stratford, London, Stratford, East London, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English f ...
in the Premier League. On 11 January 2025, he captained the side and scored the second goal of a 4–0 win over Accrington Stanley
Accrington Stanley Football Club is a professional association football club based in Accrington, Lancashire, England, that compete in the , the fourth level of the English football league system. They have spent their entire history playing a ...
in the third round of the FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
. On 11 March, Alexander-Arnold was substituted with an ankle injury in Liverpool's 1–0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain Football Club, commonly referred to as Paris Saint-Germain () or simply PSG, is a French professional Association football, football club based in Paris. They compete in Ligue 1, the French football league system, top d ...
in the UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...
round of 16
A single-elimination knockout, or sudden-death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of a match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final match-up, w ...
. This injury caused him to miss the next four matches including the 2025 EFL Cup final
The 2025 EFL Cup final was the final match of the 2024–25 EFL Cup. It was played between Liverpool and Newcastle United at Wembley Stadium in London, England, on 16 March 2025. It was the 65th EFL Cup final and the 18th to be played at the re ...
, which the club lost 2–1 to Newcastle United. He returned to the Liverpool squad on 20 April 2025, as a 71st-minute substitute against Leicester City, making his 350th appearance for the club. Five minutes later he scored the only goal of the match to take Liverpool within one win of securing a 20th English league title. On 5 May 2025, eight days after winning the Premier League title, Alexander-Arnold announced that he had decided to leave Liverpool at the end of the season, bringing an end to his 20 year association with the club.
Real Madrid
On 30 May 2025,La Liga
The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known as the Primera División or La Liga, and officially known as LaLiga EA Sports for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Spain and the highest ...
club Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional Football club (association football), football club based in Madrid. The club competes in La Liga, th ...
announced the signing of Alexander-Arnold on a six-year contract. Despite being considered as a free agent if the transfer confirmation happened in July, Real Madrid paid Liverpool a fee in order to secure the transfer before Alexander-Arnold's contract expired on 30 June, so that he would be able to represent the club in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup (officially known as the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, also marketed as FIFA Club World Cup 25) is the 21st edition and the first of the expanded FIFA Club World Cup, an international club soccer competition organized ...
, with BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
and The Athletic
''The Athletic'' is a subscription-based sports journalism department of ''The New York Times''. It provides national and local coverage in 47 North American cities as well as the United Kingdom. ''The Athletic'' also covers national stories ...
reporting the fee to be between €6.2m and €10m. He became the seventh Englishman to join ''Los Blancos'' in the professional era. On 11 June, he was officially unveiled as a new player for Real Madrid at a ceremony held at Real Madrid City. Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez
Florentino Pérez Rodríguez (; born 8 March 1947) is a Spanish businessman and the president of football club Real Madrid, as well as chairman and CEO of Grupo ACS, a civil engineering company. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest club ...
welcomed Alexander-Arnold, presenting him with the club's iconic white shirt bearing the number 12, a departure from the number 66 he previously wore during his time at Liverpool.
International career
Youth
Alexander-Arnold has represented England at various youth levels and featured at the2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup
The 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup was the sixteenth tournament of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, held in Chile from 17 October to 8 November 2015.
Host selection
The following four countries bid to host the tournament:
*
*
*
*
Venues
Along with proposing ...
in Chile. He also scored three goals for the England U19 team, including a brace against Croatia
Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
and another against Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
which secured England's qualification for the 2017 UEFA European Under-19 Championship
The 2017 UEFA European Under-19 Championship (also known as UEFA Under-19 Euro 2017) was the 16th edition of the UEFA European Under-19 Championship (66th edition if the Under-18 and Junior eras are included), the annual international youth footba ...
. He did not feature at the tournament itself as Liverpool reached an agreement with England to rest him ahead of the following season's league campaign, but the Three Lions went on to defeat Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
in the final to claim their first ever title in the competition. The month following the tournament, he was called up to the England U21
The England national under-21 football team, also known as England under-21s or England U21(s), is the national under-21 association football team of England, under the control of the Football Association. It is considered to be the feeder team ...
team for the first time for their UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifiers against Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
and Latvia
Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...
, and made his debut in a 3–0 win over the latter. Two more appearances followed with the U21 side before he was promoted and solidified his status within the senior England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
camp.
Senior
In March 2018, while part of the U21 team, Alexander-Arnold was invited to train with the senior national team for the first time ahead of their friendly matches against Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
and the Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
. He received his first call-up in May 2018 when he was named in Gareth Southgate's squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup
The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for national association football, football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awarded t ...
. His debut followed on 7 June 2018 when he started in a 2–0 pre-tournament friendly win over Costa Rica
Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...
at Elland Road
Elland Road, or Elland Road Stadium, is a football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, which has been the Home (sports), home of Leeds United F.C., Leeds United since the club's formation in 1919. The stadium is the List of foot ...
. Prior to the match, he was handed his match jersey by Prince William, Duke of Cambridge
William, Prince of Wales (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982), is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales.
William was born during the reign of his pat ...
. Alexander-Arnold then made his debut in the competition on 28 June, starting in a 1–0 group-stage defeat to Belgium
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
, after both sides had already confirmed their progression to the knockout stages. In doing so, he became only the fourth teenager to start a match for England at a World Cup. It remained, however, his only appearance as Kieran Trippier was preferred at right-back and featured throughout as England were defeated by Croatia
Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
in the semi-finals, and then again by Belgium in the third place play-off
Many sports playoffs and knockout tournaments include a third place playoff, third place match, bronze medal game, or consolation game to decide which competitor or team will be credited with finishing third and fourth. This game is typically com ...
.
On 15 November 2018, during a friendly international, held in honour of Wayne Rooney, Alexander-Arnold scored his first senior international goal as England recorded a 3–0 win over the United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium, currently branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE Limited, EE for sponsorship reasons, is an association football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Sta ...
. In doing so, and at the age of 20 years and 39 days, he became the youngest Liverpool player since Michael Owen in 1999 to score for the national team. In June 2019, he was part of the England squad which ended third at the inaugural UEFA Nations League
The UEFA Nations League is an international European football competition played by the senior men's national teams of the member associations of UEFA, the sport's European governing body. The competition was devised to minimise friendlies a ...
and played the full match in a penalty shoot-out
The penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to pe ...
win over Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
in the third-place play-off. Two years later, he was named in England's 26-man squad for the UEFA Euro 2020
The 2020 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2020 or simply Euro 2020, was the 16th UEFA European Championship, the Anniversary#Latin-derived numerical names, quadrennial international men's association footb ...
but was forced to withdraw eight days before the competition commenced after sustaining a thigh injury during a pre-tournament friendly against Austria
Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
.
On 10 November 2022, he was named in England's 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup
The 2022 FIFA World Cup was the 22nd FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for national football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December 2022, after the country was awarded the hosting ri ...
. where he made one appearance against Wales
Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
in the group stage.
On 16 June 2023, Alexander-Arnold scored a long-ranged goal in a 4–0 victory in the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta
Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...
and he was described by Jacob Steinberg of the Guardian as having "oozed class". Alexander-Arnold played in the same 'Number 10' role in the next game and was likewise praised.
On 3 June 2024, in a Euro 2024 warm-up match against Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
, Alexander-Arnold scored his third England goal and was named Player of the Match as the team won 3–0. Three days later, he was named in England's 26-man squad for UEFA Euro 2024
The 2024 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2024 (stylised as UEFA EURO 2024) or simply Euro 2024, was the 17th UEFA European Championship, the quadrennial international Association football, football champ ...
, where he was listed as a midfielder and assigned the number 8 shirt.
Alexander-Arnold started England's opening match of Euro 2024, partnering Declan Rice
Declan Rice (born 14 January 1999) is an English professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder or defensive midfielder for Premier League club Arsenal and the England national team. Known for his stamina, ball carrying ability and ...
in central midfield as the team beat Serbia
, image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg
, national_motto =
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg
, national_anthem = ()
, image_map =
, map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
1–0 in Gelsenkirchen. He played 69 minutes before being substituted for Conor Gallagher
Conor John Gallagher (born 6 February 2000) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Atlético Madrid and the England national team.
Beginning his career with Chelsea, Gallagher spent time on loan at EFL Champi ...
. He went on to start the second match against Denmark
Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
, being substituted for Gallagher in the 54th minute, before playing the final six minutes of the final match against Slovenia
Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...
as a substitute for Kieran Trippier. In the quarter-final against Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
, Alexander-Arnold appeared as a substitute for Phil Foden
Philip Walter Foden (born 28 May 2000) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Manchester City and the England national team.
Foden's breakthrough into professional football came in 2017 when he won the FIF ...
in the 25th minute of extra time and scored England's decisive fifth kick of the penalty shootout.
Player profile
Style of play
Known for his range of passing, crossing and assists, he is regarded as one of the best right-backs in the world, despite alleged tendencies to make defensive errors. During the early years of his career, he emerged as one of the Premier League's most creative players due to his role in assisting goals from early crosses and set-piece deliveries. He possesses an impressive passing range, which is attributed to his development as amidfielder
In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...
during his time in Liverpool's youth academy, and has been one of Liverpool's designated set-piece specialists for deadball situations since the 2017–18 season. His set-piece routine, which involves three parallel steps backwards and one to the right, has been likened to that of former rugby union
Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...
player Jonny Wilkinson
Jonathan Peter Wilkinson, (born 25 May 1979) is an English former rugby union player. A fly-half, he played for Newcastle Falcons and French side Toulon and represented England and the British & Irish Lions. He is particularly known for scori ...
. Alexander-Arnold's craft and intelligence from deadball situations was singled out for particular praise by Gary Lineker
Gary Winston Lineker ( ; born 30 November 1960) is an English Sports broadcasting, sports broadcaster and former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Striker (association football), striker. Lineker is the only player t ...
and Cesc Fàbregas after he assisted the winning goal in the 2018–19 Champions League semi-final by delivering a quickly-taken corner while the opposition players had their backs turned.
Under Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp
Jürgen Norbert Klopp (; born 16 June 1967) is a German football executive and former Manager (association football), manager and Football player, player. He is widely regarded as one of the best football managers in the world. Klopp has been ...
, whose tactical set-up placed creative responsibility on the shoulders of the club's full-backs, Alexander-Arnold was predominantly deployed down the right flank where his overlapping runs, switching of play, accuracy of crossing and work-rate in tracking back saw him become an important figure in the side's transitional style of play centred around high pressing.
Reception
World Cup
A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the name is ...
winner Cafu
Marcos Evangelista de Morais (born 7 June 1970), known as Cafu (), is a Brazilian former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Defender (association football)#Full-back, right-back. Widely regarded as one of the greates ...
has praised Alexander-Arnold, saying "He's a sensational player, a rare talent. He's technically brilliant, he has so much quality. He has a Brazilian style of play. I love watching him play. And playing in such a great team will help him grow." Lionel Messi
Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi (; born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine professional Association football, footballer who plays as a forward (association football), forward for and Captain (association football), captains both Major League Soccer ...
has called him "impressive" and remarked "e is
E, or e, is the fifth letter and the second vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''e'' (pronounced ); plu ...
the future, a fullback who is impressive going forward." Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville
Gary Alexander Neville (born 18 February 1975) is an English football pundit, former coach and player, and co-owner of English Football League club Salford City. As a player, Neville was a right-back and spent his entire career with Manches ...
stated, "He's the best passer of a ball at right-back that I've ever seen. He's David Beckham
Sir David Robert Joseph Beckham ( ; born 2 May 1975) is an English former professional footballer, the president and co-owner of Inter Miami CF and co-owner of Salford City. Primarily a right winger and known for his range of passing, cross ...
and Kevin De Bruyne
Kevin De Bruyne (; born 28 June 1991) is a Belgian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a midfielder for club SSC Napoli, Napoli and captains the Belgium national football team, Belgium national team.
After spending mos ...
at right-back".
Alexander-Arnold has often been the subject of criticism for his alleged lack of defensive capabilities. However, during the 2020–21 and 2022–23 seasons, seasons during which this criticism intensified, he compared favourably with other English right-backs including Reece James Reece James may refer to:
* Reece James (footballer, born 1993), English footballer born in Bacup, Lancashire
* Reece James (footballer, born 1999), English footballer born in Redbridge, London
See also
* James Reece (disambiguation) James Reece m ...
and Kyle Walker
Kyle Andrew Walker (born 28 May 1990) is an English professional footballer who plays as a right-back for club AC Milan, on loan from club Manchester City, and the England national team.
Walker started his career at his boyhood club Sheffi ...
, with his numbers ranking the best among them. He has been defended by Klopp, who said "If anyone says Trent can't defend, they should come to me and I'll knock them down. I cannot hear that anymore, I don't know what the boy has to do!"
Philanthropy
Outside of football, Alexander-Arnold volunteers as an ambassador for the Liverpool-based charity ''An Hour for Others'', which seeks to provide underprivileged members of the community with anything from food hampers and toys to cooking and science lessons. He has supported the charity since being introduced to it by his mother in his mid-teens. During his time with Liverpool's academy, he and teammate Kris Owens pledged to support the initiative if either of them made it as professional footballers. His philanthropy also expands beyond the charity and in March 2019, after signing a new boot sponsorship withUnder Armour
Under Armour, Inc. is an American sportswear company that manufactures footwear and clothing, apparel headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, United States.
History 20th century
Under Armour was founded on September 25, 1996, by Kevin Plank, a ...
(the second most lucrative boot deal in England behind Harry Kane
Harry Edward Kane (born 28 July 1993) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Striker (association football), striker for Bundesliga club FC Bayern Munich, Bayern Munich and Captain (association football), c ...
's) he initiated plans to purchase plots in Liverpool and use the funds to construct new pitches for the community.
In April 2020, Alexander-Arnold teamed up with Under Armour to support doctors, nurses, and key workers battling the COVID-19 Pandemic. Alexander-Arnold and Under Armour provided over 2,000 products for workers at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital
Royal Liverpool University Hospital (RLUH) is a major teaching and research hospital located in the city of Liverpool, England. It is the largest and busiest hospital in Merseyside and Cheshire.
A major redevelopment of the hospital began in 20 ...
.
He is a supporter of the Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a Decentralization, decentralized political and social movement that aims to highlight racism, discrimination and Racial inequality in the United States, racial inequality experienced by black people, and to pro ...
movement, wearing a special pair of boots featuring the phrase and auctioning them off in a raffle for the Nelson Mandela Foundation
The Nelson Mandela Foundation is a nonprofit organisation founded by Nelson Mandela in 1999 to promote Mandela's vision of freedom and equality for all. The chairman is Naledi Pandor. And the CEO is Dr. Mbongiseni Buthelezi.
Vision
The visi ...
, raising £27,000 in the process. The boots were later displayed in the National Football Museum
The National Football Museum is England's national museum of Football in England, football. It is based in the Urbis building in Manchester city centre, and preserves, conserves and displays important collections of association football, football ...
in Manchester and FIFA Museum
The FIFA Museum is an association football museum operated by FIFA. The museum is located in Zurich, Switzerland, across town from the FIFA headquarters. It opened on 28 February 2016. The project, costing over SFr500 million ($563m), is current ...
in Zurich.
In April 2023, he set up The After Academy, an initiative funded by Alexander-Arnold for the next five years that will support and aide former academy footballers. The After Academy is intended to provide training and career opportunities both in and out of football for footballers who did not make it past academy level and is being run with the co-operation of the PFA and Alexander-Arnold's sponsors, Red Bull
Red Bull is a brand of energy drinks created and owned by the Austrian company Red Bull GmbH. With a market share of 43%, it is the most popular energy drink brand as of 2020, and the third most valuable soft drink brand, behind Coca-Cola and ...
, Under Armour
Under Armour, Inc. is an American sportswear company that manufactures footwear and clothing, apparel headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, United States.
History 20th century
Under Armour was founded on September 25, 1996, by Kevin Plank, a ...
and Therabody.
Personal life
Alexander-Arnold is the nephew of former Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...
and Millwall
Millwall is a district on the western and southern side of the Isle of Dogs, in east London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the immediate south of Canary Wharf and Poplar, north of Greenwich and Deptford, east of ...
footballer, and former Manchester United club secretary, John Alexander. His maternal grandmother, Doreen Carling, was once also in a relationship with former United manager, Alex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson (born 31 December 1941) is a Scottish former professional football manager and player, best known for managing Manchester United from 1986 to 2013. He is widely regarded as the greatest manager of all time and ...
, before moving to New York City where she later married. Alexander-Arnold was thus eligible to play for the United States prior to making his England debut. He has two brothers; Tyler, who is four years his senior and acts as his agent
Agent may refer to:
Espionage, investigation, and law
*, spies or intelligence officers
* Law of agency, laws involving a person authorized to act on behalf of another
** Agent of record, a person with a contractual agreement with an insuran ...
, and Marcel, who is three years younger.
He is also an avid chess
Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...
player, having been introduced to the game by his father as a youngster, and in 2018 he played an invitational match against world champion Magnus Carlsen
Sven Magnus Øen Carlsen (born 30 November 1990) is a Norwegian Grandmaster (chess), chess grandmaster. Carlsen is a five-time World Chess Championship, World Chess Champion, five-time World Rapid Chess Championship, World Rapid Chess Champio ...
. The match, which was played as part of a campaign to promote the sport, ended in defeat for Alexander-Arnold after seventeen moves. Alexander-Arnold later explained how chess was more than just a pastime and had helped him in his football career by teaching him to think "two or three moves ahead of the opposition".
Alexander-Arnold is good friends with his England and Real Madrid teammate Jude Bellingham
Jude Victor William Bellingham (born 29 June 2003) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Real Madrid CF, Real Madrid and the England national football team, England national team. Finis ...
.
In 2023, Alexander-Arnold joined the investment group of the Alpine racing team of Formula One
Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...
.
Career statistics
Club
International
:''England score listed first, score column indicates score after each Alexander-Arnold goal''Honours
Liverpool *Premier League
The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
: 2019–20, 2024–25
*FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
: 2021–22
*EFL Cup
The English Football League Cup, often referred to as the League Cup and currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout competition in men's domestic football in England.
Orga ...
: 2021–22
*FA Community Shield
The Football Association Community Shield (formerly the Charity Shield) is Football in England, English football's annual match contested at Wembley Stadium between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA ...
: 2022
The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
*UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...
: 2018–19
*UEFA Super Cup
The UEFA Super Cup is an annual super cup Association football, football match organised by UEFA and contested by the winners of the two main European club competitions: the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. The competition's offic ...
: 2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
*FIFA Club World Cup
The FIFA Club World Cup (FIFA CWC) is an international men's association football competition organised by the ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' (FIFA), the sport's global sports governing body, governing body. The compe ...
: 2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
England
*UEFA European Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship, less formally the European Championship and informally the Euro or Euros, is the primary association football tournament organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The competition ...
runner-up: 2024
The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
*UEFA Nations League
The UEFA Nations League is an international European football competition played by the senior men's national teams of the member associations of UEFA, the sport's European governing body. The competition was devised to minimise friendlies a ...
third place: 2018–19
Individual
* Liverpool Young Player of the Season: 2016–17, 2017–18
*PFA Team of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year (often called the PFA Team of the Year, or simply the Team of the Year) is an annual award given to a set of 55 footballers across the top four tiers of men's Football in England, En ...
: 2018–19 Premier League
The 2018–19 Premier League was the 27th season of the Premier League, the top English professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1992, and the 120th season of top-flight English football overall. The season ...
, 2019–20 Premier League
The 2019–20 Premier League was the 28th season of the Premier League, the top English professional association football, football league, since its establishment in 1992, and the 121st season of top-flight English football overall. The season ...
, 2021–22 Premier League
The 2021–22 Premier League was the 30th season of the Premier League, the top English professional league for association football clubs since its establishment in 1992, and the 123rd season of top-flight English football overall. The start a ...
*UEFA Champions League Team of the Season: 2018–19, 2021–22
*Premier League Player of the Month
The Premier League Player of the Month is an association football award that recognises the best adjudged Premier League player each month of the season. The winner is chosen by a combination of an online public vote, which contributes to 1 ...
: December 2019, November 2021
*IFFHS Men's World Team
The IFFHS World Team is a football award given annually since 2017. The award is given by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS).
Men's winners
List of winners
In 2017, IFFHS started to nominate a world team ...
: 2019, 2020
*UEFA Team of the Year
The UEFA Fan's Team of the Year is a football award given by UEFA through a poll on its official website. This award started in 2001 and allows users of the organization's website to choose their own eleven players and a coach based on their ove ...
: 2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
*PFA Young Player of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year (often called the PFA Young Player of the Year, or simply the Young Player of the Year) is an annual award given to the young player who is adjudged to have been the best of the ...
: 2019–20
*Premier League Young Player of the Season
The Premier League Young Player of the Season is an annual English football award, presented to the best player aged 23 or younger in the Premier League. For sponsorship purposes, it is known as the Hublot Young Player of the Season since the 20 ...
: 2019–20
* ESM Team of the Year: 2019–20, 2021–22
*FIFA FIFPro World11
The FIFPRO World 11 are the best association football men's and women's teams of the year. FIFPRO invites all professional men's and women's footballers to compose the teams. Initially known as the FIFPRO World 11, the award began in 2005 and ce ...
: 2020
The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
* ''The Athletic'' Premier League Team of the Season: 2024–25
Notes
References
External links
Profile
at the Real Madrid CF website
Profile
at the Liverpool F.C. website
Profile
at the Football Association website * {{DEFAULTSORT:Alexander-Arnold, Trent 1998 births Living people Footballers from Liverpool English men's footballers Men's association football defenders Men's association football midfielders Liverpool F.C. players Real Madrid CF players Premier League players UEFA Champions League–winning players England men's youth international footballers England men's under-21 international footballers England men's international footballers 2018 FIFA World Cup players 2022 FIFA World Cup players UEFA Euro 2024 players English expatriate men's footballers Expatriate men's footballers in Spain English expatriate sportspeople in Spain Black British sportsmen 21st-century Black British people 21st-century English sportsmen