If Trent Alexander-Arnold’s name hadn’t been pulled from that hat, who knows where he’d be today?
Alexander-Arnold has revealed that his start at Liverpool was entirely dependent on a stroke of good luck as a kid.
The Reds’ breakthrough right back, who has 21 appearances to his name already this season, almost never got the chance to learn his trade in the Liverpool youth set-up.
Alexander-Arnold has explained how his first experience with the club came when Liverpool invited some students to their Melwood training ground but the demand was such that there was not enough room for all the kids.
That’s when Alexander-Arnold got lucky.
“There weren’t enough invites for everyone in our class who wanted to go, so we drew names out of a hat,” he said in April’s edition of FourFourTwo magazine.
“Fortunately, my name was pulled out. I went along, played with a smile on my face as I always did, and a scout went over to my mum at the end of the session and asked her to bring me to the academy two or three times a week.
“When the opportunity comes along, you’ve got to take it. Without knowing it, I did. Back then it was just another chance, on another day, to play football for a few days.”
Alexander-Arnold was named Liverpool’s Young Player of the Season last year and has clearly endeared himself to his manager.
With Nathaniel Clyne returning to full fitness recently, he will face a legitimate battle to force Alexander-Arnold out of the team because Klopp is a huge fan of the youngster’s rawness from right back.
“It’s an unbelievably important position,” Klopp said, via the Liverpool Echo.
“It is one of the most important in world football because they were defenders but now they are sometimes defenders and sometimes attackers.
“Clyne is the most experienced one but was injured. He has speed, technically good, he is not really an offensive player, but he protects well and helps a lot in defensive moments.
“Joe Gomez is coming from the centre more, he will in the future play there. He has to improve but is more the defensive part for a full-back.
“Then there is Trent, who is very offensive orientated, fantastic crosses, good footballer. He has this little bit of street kid. If you see the crosses, they are a little bit dirty.”
