Trent Alexander-Arnold has been named alongside Declan Rice in England’s midfield for their Euro 2024 opener against Serbia tonight.
Mail Sport revealed on Monday that Gareth Southgate was giving serious consideration to playing the Liverpool star in midfield.
Southgate has been working with Alexander-Arnold for 12 months to prepare him for the role, claiming on Friday that he has ‘as good a passing range as anybody in world football’.
Jude Bellingham gets the nod at No 10 in an exciting 4-2-3-1 formation, flanked by Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden and sitting behind Harry Kane.
England kick off their Euros campaign against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen at 8pm before facing Denmark and Slovenia.
Marc Guehi has been selected to start at centre-back alongside John Stones, with Harry Maguire sitting the tournament out due to injury.
Jordan Pickford starts his fourth major tournament between the stick for England, picking up his 62nd cap.
Kieran Trippier fills in as a makeshift left-back while Kyle Walker takes up the right-back position.
Luke Shaw, 28, has not played since injuring his hamstring in February and only returned to training earlier this week, so Trippier starts over him.
Asked if Alexander-Arnold is ready to start in central midfield alongside Rice, Southgate told ITV Sport on Friday: ‘We believe so. We think he can offer something we don’t have and give the team a different dimension. He’s really been diligent in understanding the role.
‘He has as good a passing range as anybody in world football. He’s been really invested in learning, understanding all aspects of the game in that role.
‘I’ve enjoyed working with him on that project for the last 12 months. His mentality and attitude towards it have been absolutely first-class.’
Southgate has had to contend with some selection issues coming into Euro 2024, notably the absence of Harry Maguire.
Stones, Saka, and Luke Shaw have all had fitness concerns coming into the camp.
There had been lots of debate around whether Southgate, often perceived as a tactically cautious manager, would ‘take the handbrake off’.
The decision to start Alexander-Arnold to make the most of his attacking qualities, as opposed to starting Conor Gallagher, is seen as a forward-thinking decision.
Meanwhile, the decision to opt for a 4-2-3-1 with Bellingham at the head of the midfield, as opposed to part of a 4-3-3, is aimed at profiting from his clinical edge.
Bellingham scored 23 goals and assisted 13 more in his debut season at Real Madrid but was moved into a deeper role towards the end of the season.