Gary Lineker has reaffirmed his belief that Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold should play in midfield. This follows his spectacular performance in Liverpool’s triumph over Arsenal on Sunday.

Alexander-Arnold was one of Liverpool’s standout players as they moved to the FA Cup fourth round with a 2-0 win at Emirates Stadium. Jakub Kiwior deflected the Liverpool academy graduate’s free kick into his own net, setting up the first goal.

Lineker was mainly interested in Conor Bradley’s move to midfield in the second half. “I have said forever that he is a midfield player,” he told the BBC.

“On occasion, he may be exposed as a right back. He won’t be vulnerable defensively in midfield.””There is no better football passer in England.”

Martin Keown, another commentator, agreed with Lineker. He compared Alexander-Arnold to Steven Gerrard, claiming, “He’s now picked as a midfielder for England, not a defender.” He is an extraordinary talent.

“I believe it is time to move him from defense to midfield, as that is where he prefers to play.”He’s almost like Gerrard today, and you wouldn’t have put him at right back.”

Gareth Southgate, England’s manager, has previously employed Alexander-Arnold in midfield. He started at number eight in England’s 2021 game against Andorra, as well as in recent Euro 2024 qualifiers, including a 2-0 victory against Malta.

When questioned about his new job in November, Alexander-Arnold said: “I was a midfielder as a teenager, so I’m comfortable with the position. How to conduct myself and perform in the middle of the pitch has been a problem for me, so I’ve been sitting down, watching, learning, and adapting.

“As for whether I’m a midfielder or not — my specific skillset is probably best suited to someone who plays in the middle of the pitch, someone who controls the game, controls the tempo, creates, breaks line, progresses the ball up the pitch so those kinds of skills you would say are suited to someone who plays in the middle of the pitch.”