The likely England starting XI to face Serbia in their opening game of Euro 2024 worries Wayne Rooney for one primary reason, despite “loving” the player in question
Wayne Rooney is concerned about Trent Alexander-Arnold playing midfield for England as he’s defensively “all over the place”.
Alexander-Arnold is expected to get the nod to partner Declan Rice in the middle of the park for the opening group game of Euro 2024 against Serbia on Sunday, having done so in four of the qualifiers. He often drifts into that position from right-back for Liverpool.
But while his attacking prowess is amongst the best in the world, question marks have been raised about his defensive attributes – and Rooney fears that could be a bigger problem when moving him further up the pitch.
“I think he’ll (Southgate) go with Trent,” the Manchester United legend said as he predicted the Three Lions’ starting XI for The Overlap. “I think he’s probably the most gifted player with the ball at his feet we’ve got.
“Defensively, he’s all over the place. He can’t defend. I wouldn’t have him anywhere near the middle of the pitch. I’d have no problem with playing him here (at right-back).
“I think in here (midfield), I wouldn’t have him anywhere near there. And I love Trent, actually. I think on the ball, the stuff he can do, no one else can do it.”
Rooney reckons that despite using him there when he’s been able to over the past year, Southgate is also unsure about the prospect – and he’ll therefore adapt on a game-to-game basis, as he has done at previous major tournaments.
“100%, [if] we go into the quarter-finals and we’re playing France, Trent is not playing in midfield,” Rooney asserted. “For me, I don’t think Gareth trusts him enough to play him in midfield. And he has his doubts, the same way I do, about playing midfield.
“That’s when you’re going to see [Conor] Gallagher or [Kobbie] Mainoo in there. I don’t think he trusts Trent defensively, which I think he’s right to. In the games where you think you’re going to dominate possession, I think you probably will see him in there.”
HAVE YOUR SAY! Who would you partner with Rice? Let us know in the comments section.
Rooney has backed either England or Portugal to emerge victorious in Germany, but he also feels a lack of experience could cost Southgate – which is why he would’ve taken Jack Grealish over Jarrod Bowen.
He added: “On the backline, there’s not many caps between the players. I had it when I first signed for Manchester United, you get to finals and ends of tournaments, we’re looking at the lads that have been there and won trophies.
“They keep you calm and get you through it. That’s my worry for England. I think they’ll breeze through the group stages, but when they come up against good teams that are going to be a real threat to them, I think that lack of experience might harm us.
“There’s no substitute for players who win trophies. I think it’s so important. There’s not many in the England squad that have done that.
“The Manchester City lads have been doing that regularly over the last few years. I just think there’s a real lack of experience in the squad, that’s my worry.”
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