'He can't defend!' - Roy Keane blasts Liverpool star and claims he can't play for England at Euro 2024

Roy Keane has slammed Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold for his ‘inability’ to defend which means he can’t be a starter for England this summer.

The Liverpool defender has been included as a midfielder in the latest squad and it is a position in which Gareth Southgate has preferred to use him in - rather than his more natural right-back role we’ve seen at club level since 2017. However, given he is blessed with options at right-back, it makes sense for him to be used slightly further forward where he can dictate the game alongside top performers such as Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham.

Alexander-Arnold has only been offered starting roles in qualifying games in which England have been utterly dominant. Such as starting in all four games against Malta and North Macedonia. Outside of that, he managed a hat-trick of assists against San Marino but he hasn’t been trusted to perform in midfield against sides of note which reduces his chances of doing so this summer.

Speaking on the latest episode of Stick to Football, brought to you by Sky Bet, Keane made the bold claim that Alexander-Arnold cannot start against big teams in the summer competition in Germany. “You can’t play him [Trent Alexander-Arnold] in there [midfield] against one of the top teams. In one or two of the group matches you get away with it, but if you play Trent in there against one of the top nations, defensive side of the game we are talking about, he can’t defend.”

In response to his comments, former teammate and former England right-back Gary Neville refuted such claims by saying he can be supported by Kyle Walker who can cover him in the current set-up. “I see it [the Trent Alexander-Arnold debate] slightly different to you, Roy. The reason being is that Declan Rice will play here [deeper on the left], Trent Alexander-Arnold will play here [slightly higher in the right centre-midfield] and Jude Bellingham here [further forwards] but because Kyle Walker is in that [right] channel, he [Alexander-Arnold] has the cover behind him in John Stones and Walker.”

To which Keane responded: “I don’t mind a player who’s not bad at defending, but I watch every game he plays for Liverpool, whether he’s right back or comes into midfield and Trent Alexander-Arnold can’t smell danger.

“I get that putting him in midfield means he’s higher up the pitch and he has the security behind him, but as a defender, you still won’t want players running at you the whole time. They’ll get away with it against the lesser teams, but if he plays in there [defence], all the best.”