(Video) ‘I’m not sure…’ – Merson has his doubts over Liverpool man in England’s Euro 2024 squad
Paul Merson has expressed his doubts over one Liverpool player who was included in the provisional England squad for Euro 2024.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is among four Reds selected in the initial 33-man roster for the tournament next month, with seven names to be cut from the final selection for the finals in Germany.
Speaking on Sky Sports in reaction to Gareth Southgate’s picks, the pundit was astonished by Reece James’ omission and questioned whether the LFC vice-captain would be an adequate alternative at right-back.
Merson said: “I’m not sure about Trent at right-back. He’s a talented player; his range of passing is second to none. He’s the best passer in the whole country, but I don’t think he’s a defender at international level. I am quite shocked with the Reece James one.”
This feels like a good time to remind everyone that four of the 25-year-old’s last five caps for England have been as a midfielder rather than a right-back (Transfermarkt), a clear indicator of where Southgate perceives his best position to be.
Somewhat surprisingly, only six ‘midfielders’ have been named among the 33-player squad (although Jude Bellingham’s classification as a forward suggests that those positional citations are fluid), and Trent is one of those.
With Kyle Walker likely to start at right-back, the Liverpool vice-captain’s involvement at Euro 2024 will probably be in the middle of the park.
You can view Merson’s reaction in full below, via @SkySportsPL on X:
"I didn't get that one…he's one of the best in the business"
Paul Merson on Gareth Southgate's decision to not include Reece James in his England squad selection pic.twitter.com/9XDloYRxNK
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 21, 2024
The post (Video) ‘I’m not sure…’ – Merson has his doubts over Liverpool man in England’s Euro 2024 squad appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.