Trent Alexander-Arnold is hoping to become a “big part” of Gareth Southgate’s midfield ahead of Euro 2024 next year.
England have already qualified for the European Championships in Germany next year with two games to spare, giving Southgate the opportunity to experiment for the upcoming qualifiers with Malta and North Macedonia.
Alexander-Arnold came through at Liverpool as a right-back, though Jurgen Klopp has used him in a hybrid role of late, giving him more of a chance to utilise his excellent abilities going forward, while England’s depth at right-back means he is largely utilised in midfield for the Three Lions.
Alexander-Arnold is enjoying his new role and says he would love to become a big part of Southgate’s midfield for Euro 2024, telling reporters: “When I’m here, when I’m not here, I’m constantly thinking about trying to get into the team for the summer. It is something that motivates me.
“Since we spoke in the summer, me and the manager, about a midfield opportunity and to see if we could make it work, there has been a newfound excitement for me.
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“It is a huge opportunity and it is one I am grateful to have, but also making sure I take it.
“It’s still early days, I haven’t had much experience in there so still learning on the job and about picking it up as much as I can when I am in there.”
Though the Three Lions are already through, there is still something riding on the upcoming qualifiers with England looking to secure first place in the group, earning them a place among the top seeds for the draw in December.
Southgate wants his side to finish the campaign strongly, saying: “Firstly we need to win games to make sure we’re top seeds.
“England always have to win and the message is about our standards on the training pitch – being a top team stems from having good habits every day – [there is] never a day off if you’re a top player.”
