Trent Alexander-Arnold has struggled to start under Gareth Southgate, but his performance against the Republic of Ireland suggests that will change.

Trent Alexander-Arnold returned to his right-back role against Ireland, and after the game in Dublin fans were left puzzled as to why the Liverpool man had only won 29 caps for his country. It was one of the few blemishes on Gareth Southgate’s England tenure.

Anthony Gordon didn’t have much time to convince Southgate, but Alexander-Arnold was handed his debut by the former England boss more than six years ago.

He has made over 300 appearances for club but only 30 for the Three Lions before his 26th birthday, a modest tally for one of the country’s most charismatic figures.

Consider Alexander-Arnold’s pass to Gordon, which could have been England’s first goal but instead set up Declan Rice’s opening score. No other English player could have executed such a pass from 40 yards out. It was perfectly timed and placed to utilize Gordon’s pace, slicing through the Irish defense and altering the visitors’ transitional play.

Additionally, before this, Alexander-Arnold delivered a cross for Harry Kane to head. His passing ability, evident since his 1998 birth year, is exceptional. Despite Southgate’s hesitant move to assign him a midfield role for EURO 2024, which did not pan out as expected, Alexander-Arnold was benched, even though Kyle Walker had a lackluster performance.

Given his recent display, the Liverpool star could firmly secure the right-back position under Lee Carsley’s management.

Observe how the interim manager relied on the Liverpool vice-captain. While Gordon and several newcomers rotated, Alexander-Arnold played through to the final whistle, which could be a significant development for him. This was only the 13th time he has completed a full 90 minutes in an international match, despite it being his 23rd senior international appearance.