(Video) Trent shows v Ireland exactly why Keane dubbed him ‘fantastic’

it’s not every day that Roy Keane is effusive in his praise of players, so Trent Alexander-Arnold must’ve been particuarly good to have the ITV pundit dub him ‘fantastic‘ in England’s win over Republic of Ireland on Saturday.

The ex-Manchester United captain’s verdict was fully merited, too, as the Liverpool vice-captain excelled from his preferred right-back role as the Three Lions eased to victory in Dublin.

His pass to Anthony Gordon in the lead-up to Declan Rice’s opening goal was jaw-dropping, and it wasn’t the only sumptuous long ball that he executed against the Irish either (he succeeded with 10 such attempts yesterday).

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He ought to have an early assist when, from a pinpoint cross, Harry Kane headed over the bar from close range. In addition to Trent’s near-unmatched ability with long-range passes, he also showed an eye for a killer through ball on a couple of occassions, along with an assortment of simple passes to keep play ticking over.

The 25-year-old was solid defensively, too, snuffing out Matt Doherty with one perfectly-timed duel (he won three in total on Saturday) and winning two tackles.

As Henry Winter rightly noted on social media, the Liverpool star possesses game-changing ability, something that he’s demonstrated so often for his club over the years and is now being given the licence to show for his country as well.

You can view the highlights of Trent’s performance against Ireland below, via @moadnanxlfc on X:

Trent Alexander-Arnold vs Ireland. 💥 pic.twitter.com/6zAjVEvr8x

— Mo. Adnan (@moadnanxlfc) September 7, 2024