Roy Keane and Gary Neville agree the ‘shredded’ verdict has been given on the Liverpool ace

It wouldn’t be an international tournament unless there was a debate in England’s opening game about where to play the country’s most talented player, although Gareth Southgate appears to have made up his mind.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is expected to play alongside Declan Rice in a pivotal double for England in their opener against Serbia, but both Gary Neville and Roy Keane agree on the Liverpool man. The former Manchester United duo insisted the Scouser cannot play in midfield against the best.

Despite the Reds’ number 66 winning the Premier League and Champions League playing as a full-back, Southgate appears to have decided that Alexander-Arnold will not play there for the Three Lions. Instead, he will be a central midfielder amid a steady stream of buzz about his defence.

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Alexander-Arnold played in the center of the pitch during his time as an academy player at Liverpool, but never did so consistently at senior level. As a result, Neville and Keane believe he will start the European Championship playing in the center – but the change will not last.

“Against Serbia, they’re going to play deep and we’re going to have to find a way to open them up, so I can see why Trent is working there for this particular game,” Neville said live on ITV Sport. “But as the tournament goes on, I don’t think it will stay that way – other players will come into line.

“What Trent playing there does is basically allow Kyle Walker to stay behind almost as a third centre-back. Trent can go to the right then and deliver, almost like a right back. I understand why it works, but I’m not sure it will be the solution as the tournament goes on.”

Fellow expert Keane agreed. “It’s all about getting the balance right in the team,” he said. “They’ve got players who can win you football games, but it’s an adequate defense against the really better teams.

“They will be good in the group — Trent will be good in those games. But against the really top teams, I think he will be exposed a lot. I think if he plays against one of the best teams in the center of midfield, he will be torn to pieces, I don’t think he’ll be up to it.”

Liverpool.com says: Alexander-Arnold won the squad playing as a full-back, but his defense is still heavily criticised. While he’s not perfect, no one else gets the same level of control that he does. Arne Slot has to make a decision about where to send him, but the success of the experiment in Germany could be instructive for what happens next.