Wayne Rooney has claimed that he actually loves one Liverpool player, but really does not want to see him used in one particular role.
There are plenty of question marks hanging over Liverpool this summer, with Arne Slot gearing up to replace Jurgen Klopp at Anfield.
One player who will be hoping for a key role under Slot is Trent Alexander-Arnold, with the academy graduate now directly involved in 100 goals in his Reds career.
It is going to be fascinating to see how Slot uses the 25-year-old. And perhaps he may get some inspiration for how Alexander-Arnold gets on at Euro 2024 with England.
Wayne Rooney expresses concern about Liverpool star
He has come in for a lot of criticism due to the quality of his defending over the last few years, and that has led to Alexander-Arnold being pushed into more of a midfield role at times.
Speaking on The Overlap, Wayne Rooney predicted that Alexander-Arnold will line up in midfield for the Three Lions this summer, but admitted that he has concerns about him being used in that way.
“I think he will go with Trent. I think he’s probably the most gifted player we have with the ball at his feet,” he said.
“Defensively he is all over the place. I wouldn’t have him anywhere near the middle of the pitch. I love Trent actually. On the ball, the stuff he can do nobody else can do it, but…”
What Rio Ferdinand said about Trent Alexander-Arnold playing in midfield
Rooney is not alone in having concerns about Alexander-Arnold playing in midfield for England this summer.
Rio Ferdinand has expressed doubts about Alexander-Arnold playing in the middle of the park, believing that he remains unproven at the highest level.
The good news for England is that they should have enough to get through the group relatively comfortably, regardless of who plays alongside Declan Rice in midfield.
So it may be worth testing out whether Alexander-Arnold can play in that role in the group games in the hope that it proves to be an inspired choice.