The last 18 months has been nothing short of a “dream” for Trent Alexander-Arnold, but the fire burns brightly for a trophy-laden career for both club and country.
Since breaking into the team in 2017/18, Alexander-Arnold has not looked back having established himself as an integral member of Liverpool’s all-conquering side.
The right-back has experienced an exponential rise since his debut in 2016, being part of the team who have lifted the Champions League, Super Cup, Club World Cup and soon the Premier League title.
All eyes have been cast his way after continuing to break assists records for defenders, among all his other career achievements at just 21 years of age, and while that can come with both pressure and scrutiny, Liverpool’s No. 66 only relishes the position he finds himself in.
And that very mentality is intertwined with the drive he possesses to continually aim higher to achieve his dreams of leading both his club and country and picking up as many honours as he can in the process.
“No, I enjoy [the pressure], because this is what I’ve always dreamed of – being in title races, going to finals, being in a successful team, trying to win things,” he told BBC Sport.
“Knowing that the team around you is good enough to win every game takes the pressure off.
“I don’t see why not [to silverware and being captain for club and country]. The only limit you have is the one you put on yourself. Why would I be content with what I’ve done now?
“It’s good, but why settle for good when you can achieve more and more and make every dream you’ve ever wanted come true?”
Trent’s answers provide yet another insight into what makes him tick and the attitude he approaches his career with is one which slots seamlessly into Jurgen Klopp’s line of thinking.
The boss was recently questioned on his right-back’s trajectory and his response was as you would expect, praise with a serving of humble pie as there is still a long way to go.
But he did touch on his environment and mentality, saying: “I can’t see anything that can stop him because his attitude and his private background is just so good. Passionate yes, very, but calm as well.”
And while the Reds have experienced a wobble or two in recent weeks, his calm mindset and the message from the top to focus only on the next game and resist getting caught up in all the hype has been integral to get Liverpool to where they are in the table.
“There’s no benefit in thinking too far ahead as that’s when your focus goes,” he added on the Reds’ approach to the season.
“The manager always says the next game is the most important one of your life and that’s why we go into the next game thinking anything can happen.
“The quality of every side we come up against means if we are just at 95 percent then we’ll be beaten, which is why we have to be at 100 percent.
“Obviously [the league title] is something you dream of. At a club like Liverpool, where it’s eluded us for so long, it would stay with the fans for a very long time, but the closer you get to it, the less you think about it because it’s more of a reality and you can’t get caught up in the hype.”
While the league title has not yet been officially secured, for Trent, the last 18 months have been nothing short of a “dream” having won titles and played “so many games for the club that I love.”
And he may have concluded that he does not set out to make the “full-back position sexy,” but he is challenging the notion that ‘no one wants to grow up to be a full-back or a Gary Neville’ with every game he plays.
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