Trent John Alexander-Arnold (born 7 October 1998) is an English professional footballer who plays as a right-back or midfielder for Premier League club Liverpool and the England national team. Considered one of the best right-backs in the world, he is known for his range of passing, crossing and assists.[4][5][6][7][8] Owing to such capabilities, he has also occasionally been deployed as a midfielder for both club and country.[2][3][9]
Alexander-Arnold joined Liverpool's academy 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 finals in 2018 and 2019, 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 and the FIFA Club World Cup. In domestic football, Alexander-Arnold was named the 2019–20 PFA Young Player of the Year and the inaugural Premier League Young Player of the Season, has thrice been named in the PFA Team of the Year, and helped end Liverpool's 30-year league title drought by winning the 2019–20 Premier League. 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 and FA Cup.
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, where he became only the fourth teenager to start a match for England in the tournament, in the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League, where his nation finished in third place in the inaugural edition of the competition, and the 2022 World Cup.
Trent John Alexander-Arnold[10] was born on 7 October 1998[11] in West Derby, Liverpool.[12] He attended St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, before later enrolling at St Mary's College in Crosby.[13][14][15] When he was six years old, local football club Liverpool 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.[16][17][18][19][20] In the intervening period, at the age of 14, he left St Mary's to enroll at Rainhill High School, an educational institution which shares an affiliation with the football club.[21]
During his time in Liverpool's academy, Alexander-Arnold converted from a wide midfielder to a right-back.[22] 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, who tipped him to have a bright future at the club in his autobiography.[16][23] As a result of his rapid progression, and in the buildup to the 2015–16 season, Alexander-Arnold was selected in the first team squad by manager Brendan Rodgers for the team's final pre-season friendly against Swindon Town where he marked his unofficial debut for the club in a 2–1 win.[24][25]
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 in the fourth round of the EFL Cup. 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 for first-choice right-back Nathaniel Clyne in the 68th minute.[16][26][27] Despite the indiscretion, his performance earned a spot in the EFL Cup Team of the Round alongside teammate Daniel Sturridge.[28][29]