Other players had their calls the day before, so Trent Alexander-Arnold knew his was coming. He took it at home in Madrid, in the bedroom, because family were visiting. The conversation with Thomas Tuchel was short. England’s World Cup squad would go without him.
“I’ll be honest, I was full of hope,” he told the Mirror. “When I put the phone down, I was properly gutted. Absolutely gutted.”
Plans that never happened
He had left his summer empty. “I’d made no plans for my summer because I hoped I’d be in the squad,” he said. He also admitted to anger, and said he hoped the coaching staff would understand it.
The record gave him little to argue with. Under Tuchel he had played once, 26 minutes against Andorra in June, and was an unused substitute in the next friendly, against Senegal. His first season at Real Madrid, after the move from Liverpool, had brought injuries and little rhythm. Tuchel picked Reece James and Tino Livramento at right-back.
The decision looked a little different once the tournament began. When Livramento was injured, Trevoh Chalobah took his place, not Alexander-Arnold. England reached the semi-finals, and the right-back slot stayed a talking point among supporters and pundits throughout.
Available, all the same
Alexander-Arnold, 27, did not use the interview to settle scores. He turned instead to what Tuchel says he wants. “The manager wants players who are desperate to play for England. I’m one of those,” he said.
“Until I retire, I’m still an England player, whether I’m selected or not.”
The blank summer did at least leave him rested for the new season. It began with him on the bench: Jose Mourinho left him out of the first match of the campaign.
Sources
- Trent was 'full of hope' before devastating phone call ended dream
- I was angry about it – Trent Alexander-Arnold breaks silence on England World Cup snub
