Trent Alexander-Arnold breaks rank and confirms who he wants as next England manager

England’s Trent Alexander-Arnold has openly expressed his desire for Jurgen Klopp to take over the reins from Gareth Southgate as the national team’s manager.

The Liverpool star became the first to speak out following England’s gut-wrenching loss in the Euro 2024 final, sharing his thoughts a week after the event. At 25, Alexander-Arnold disclosed his mix of pride and relief upon scoring the crucial penalty that propelled England into the semi-finals against Switzerland.

In the wake of Southgate’s resignation earlier this week, Alexander-Arnold compared the moment to when his club manager Klopp decided to leave, saying: “It was similar to how I felt when my club manager Jurgen Klopp was leaving. They were the people who gave me my debuts, and made my dreams come true.”

When quizzed about the possibility of Klopp stepping in as England’s boss, he told the Mirror: “I enjoyed every moment I worked with him, we shared amazing memories, forged an amazing relationship, an amazing bond. So of course if that were to happen, we would pick up where we left off.”

However, he conceded that Klopp taking the job would be unexpected: “I would be surprised if he did take it. It was clear when he announced when he was leaving, the conversations I have had with him, everything on social media, he seems to be enjoying his time off, so it would be a huge surprise.”

Alexander-Arnold has expressed his heartfelt gratitude towards Southgate, hinting at the former England manager’s potential knighthood: “I can only be thankful for every opportunity I have been given and the memories that we have shared. I do think Gareth is underrated. I think the England manager’s job is one of the hardest jobs there is. You will always be judged, there is always speculation, people always have their opinions.

“But the way he has driven the team and the environment for the players is there for everyone to see. There was unity, everyone came together as a team, but every manager does come in for criticism. The way he dealt with it was incredible and yet again, he got us to a final.”

After leading England to remarkable achievements including two Euro finals, the 2018 World Cup semi-finals, and a gut-wrenching quarter-final exit in Qatar, Southgate has stepped down from his role. Alexander-Arnold reflected on the leadership qualities of both Southgate and Klopp, noting the deep admiration and respect they command from their players.

He continued: “I agree 100 percent that when you are working with people you admire, you get to know them as a person, you want to do well for them. It is very intense in tournaments, you really get to know everyone around the camp.

“And you saw what an amazing person Gareth is, he is an amazing man. It was the same on a day to day basis with Jurgen Klopp, you see how they handle themselves and others.

“Can you ever be friends with your boss? You respect their expertise and decisions, but in the back of your mind, you always know they are the boss.”

Gary Lineker’s scathing critique of their performances, which the Match of the Day host labelled as ‘sh***’, served to bolster team morale. “We had all seen it and heard it and felt it,” he admitted.

“We all knew that we could be playing and performing better.”

“It is never nice for someone to point that out but everyone deep down knew it within ourselves, too. So it was something that we were already thinking about anyway, we knew we needed to be playing better. We had to add that to our performances, some players may have used that as motivation.

“Whether that kind of criticism led to Gareth leaving, I don’t know. Everyone has a high expectation with England now and rightly so, it is true of us as players. We feel we should be winning tournaments, that is the goal and standard we have set ourselves. That will be there for the new manager.”

As he prepared to take that decisive fifth penalty against Switzerland, with nearly half the nation supporting him from home, the young star cleared his mind to concentrate on securing England’s progress. “When you are walking out, your mind is completely clear,” he stated.

“You do not think about it, you have to concentrate on the task in hand, blank out the stadium. You do not think about what it is until you score. Then you realise it is a huge moment for the country, a huge moment for the team and for yourself. When it hits the net, some part of you is relieved. Even though you have prepared, you may mis-hit, they may save it.

“But once it hits the back of the net, it is all about the magnitude of what you have done, what it means to the manager, what it means to the group, and the many people watching. So much is invested in that moment, in that one kick of the ball.

“I ran to the fans because there were so many there throughout the tournament, their passion got us through games so it was a moment for them. It kept the tournament alive and we moved on to yet another amazing occasion in the semi-final.”

Alexander-Arnold posted on social media after the game: “Pressure makes diamonds.”

He added: “I think that penalty will be a stand out moment for me in my career, no doubt about that, and one not many players will get the chance to do, to win a penalty shoot out in a quarter final to go through, it is hard to beat.

“If we got to a World Cup final, I would take another one, for me once you get onto that stage, it is about showing your talent, showing your skill. I see it more as an opportunity rather than pressure, you are confident in knowing you have prepared yourself, preparation means confidence in life and that applies in matches.”

Alexander-Arnold, who has grown accustomed to the glare of the media spotlight, often finds himself swamped by fans eager for autographs and selfies. The football star is currently in a relationship with Jude Law’s daughter, Iris, whom he met on the set of a Guess Jeans campaign where they both serve as ambassadors since May.

“People are going to recognise me,” he admitted. “I have felt that way about fame since I was at school to be honest. I understand what comes with the job. My dream now is to win the World Cup. Everyone involved in the team wants to go that one step further, and with the quality of the squad, that is our mentality now, whoever the manager may be.”