Highly-rated Liverpool youngster Trent Alexander-Arnold says his Reds career will only truly be fulfilled if he eventually captains the side.
It has been a breakthrough season for Alexander-Arnold, with his promising performances ensuring he becomes more of a household name at Anfield.
The 18-year-old was handed his debut by Jurgen Klopp back in October, in the League Cup win over Tottenham, and he has made 12 appearances in total.
His display in the 1-1 draw away to Man United caught the eye, in particular, having been thrown in at the deep end due to an injury to Nathaniel Clyne.
Alexander-Arnold has been widely regarded as one of Liverpool’s most exciting academy prospects in years, with many of the opinion that he can go on to reach great heights at Anfield.
The versatile teenager is clearly a very driven individual, and he has set his sights high, admitting he hopes to captain the Reds in the future.
“I want to play for Liverpool for my whole career and one day hopefully I’ll captain the side,” Alexander-Arnold told the Liverpool Echo.
“Until I have finally reached being captain and I’m playing week in, week out, I’ll never be satisfied.
“Even then you can’t take a step back. There will be someone who will want that armband and there will be someone chasing my place in the team. You can’t ever be complacent. You need to do everything you can to keep the shirt.
“I don’t feel any added pressure just because I’m from this city. I have my own goals and my own dreams. I am just trying to fulfill my full potential.”
Despite his lofty ambitions, the England U19 international admits he is still surprised by the progress he has made, and spoke about his love of playing under Klopp.
“It’s been really exciting,” he added.
“If someone had told me at the start of the season that this would happen I wouldn’t have believed them.
“Last season I only played once for the under-23s. Most of my football was with the under-18s and I didn’t even really train with the under-23s. Going into pre-season my target was to push on and become an under-23s regular and get minutes for them.
“I never thought that it would be possible to make the leap into the first-team squad so quickly.
“I’ve learned so much from Jurgen over the course of the season.
“You can always go into his office and ask him a question about what you need to improve on. You need someone to point out the flaws in your game to make sure you become a better player.
“Whenever a young player does well you can tell that it really makes him proud and happy. He’s puts faith in you. If you go out there and repay that faith then he will always embrace you with a big hug.”
Unlike so many academy players who have not been good enough to make that step up, Alexander-Arnold genuinely feels like the real deal.
There is a fearlessness and confidence that resembles his hero, Steven Gerrard, at that age, and his technical ability and athleticism also catch the eye.
It is never easy to predict the career trajectory of a young player, but if Alexander-Arnold can avoid serious injury, he could mature into a footballer of huge quality.
Interestingly, the Telegraph report that Alexander-Arnold has been withdrawn from this summer’s England Under-19 European Championship squad because Klopp will push him further next season.
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