Liverpool - Trent Alexander-Arnold
Liverpool - Trent Alexander-Arnold
It all ended so sourly, but it's easy to forget just what a sensation Trent Alexander-Arnold was in his Liverpool pomp, a true academy success story in every sense.
Transformed from midfield prospect into right-back extraordinaire, the local lad really was the cream of the crop at Premier League level, a true unicorn of a full-back.
In an era where so much time is spent discussing new signings and transfer fees, the Englishman was the perfect example of why looking to the youth set-up can prove so beneficial.
Trent Alexander Arnold Liverpool stats (timeless)
Trent Alexander Arnold Liverpool stats (timeless)
Will Liverpool see his like again?
Remembering Trent's rise at Liverpool
The end became rather toxic for 'Trent', but the beginning was remarkable, with the youngster thrust into the fray as a mere teenager back in 2016.
As already stated, he'd spent much of his time in the academy set-up in central midfield, yet both he and the club decided the quickest route to the first-team was to shift to right-back.
"Critch was my under-18 manager and Alex was head of the academy. I wanted to get into the first team as soon as possible, and we decided that was the most straightforward route."
To say that move paid off is an understatement, with the then-youngster handed a bumper new deal in November 2016, while by the end of 2017/18 he was a Champions League final starter, the youngest Liverpool player to achieve that feat.
Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold with Jurgen Klopp
Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold with Jurgen Klopp
Over 350 games were racked up in total, with countless assists produced, with this a man who won it all for his boyhood club. Why did he have to leave?
Why Trent exit has backfired for everyone
Having run down his contract at Anfield, the Merseysiders were left with no choice but to send the defender on his way, stung by the failure to rake in a sizeable transfer fee.
trent-alexander-arnold-real-madrid
The £8.5m figure received to see his contract ripped up early didn't exactly soften the blow either, with Real Madrid securing a two-time Premier League winner and prior Champions League winner for mere pennies.
To say the move has worked out, for anyone, would be incorrect, however, the 26-year-old enduring a difficult debut season at the Bernabeu, culminating in an omission from England's World Cup squad.
The summer signing of Denzel Dumfries doesn't bode well either, with Alexander-Arnold, as he was at Euro 2024, shifted into midfield last time out by new boss Jose Mourinho.
As for Liverpool, well, the Reds are yet to settle on a long-term solution at right-back, with Conor Bradley plagued by injury and Jeremie Frimpong looking so unsuited to an orthodox full-back role.
It's left Andoni Iraola to rely on Ronald Araujo as a makeshift option in recent weeks, far from the ideal scenario considering the club are already light at centre-back.
Liverpool defender Ronald Araujo
Liverpool defender Ronald Araujo
Alas, that's a problem for another day, with there at least reasons for positivity elsewhere in the squad.
Why Liverpool might have found another Alexander-Arnold
For a club that has produced the likes of Steven Gerrard, Michael Owen, Robbie Fowler, Jamie Carragher and, of course, Alexander-Arnold, the Reds do look a little thin on the ground in terms of young rising stars right now.
Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold celebrates after winning the Premier League
Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold celebrates after winning the Premier League
The exits of Trent and Curtis Jones over the past 12 months illustrate that point, although hopes are high for the likes of Trey Nyoni and Lewis Koumas, the latter having already made his Premier League and Champions League debut under Iraola.
And yet, the player who truly looks like following in the footsteps of Trent and that stellar catalogue of names above is Rio Ngumoha, the 17-year-old a genuine superstar in the making, even at such a young age.
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Ngumoha & Barcola vs Atleti
Ngumoha
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33
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1/1
11
0
18
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5/11
The Merseysiders might have spent big on Bradley Barcola, yet the teenager isn't given up his starting berth easily, having even been selected on the left as the Frenchman shifted over to the right against Atletico Madrid.
Involved in the build-up to Alexis Mac Allister's winner on Wednesday night, Ngumoha was a real thorn in the side of Atleti all evening, even if not everything went his way.
Indeed, it was a fierce battle with Marcos Llorente down that flank, with the Liverpool man attempting five dribbles in total, completing two of them, while recording five progressive carries before his withdrawal on the hour mark.
He wasn't perfect, far from it, but this is still a teenager after all, one with the potential to fill Alexander-Arnold's void as the next young wonderkid at Chelsea.
Rio-Ngumoha-Liverpool
Of course, Ngumoha hasn't been schooled and raised on Merseyside, having joined from Chelsea in 2024, but the Reds certainly deserve credit for throwing him into the fray, just as they did with Trent a decade ago.
To see the flying winger already flourishing on the European stage really is a sight to behold, with Trent's own rise truly beginning in the Champions League himself.
In 2017/18, for instance, he only made 19 Premier League appearances, yet featured ten times in Europe, trusted to perform on the big stage by Jurgen Klopp.
lewis-hall-rio-ngumoha-newcastle
Maybe it'll be a similar situation for Ngumoha this season, although in the short-term, with doubts over Cody Gakpo's fitness and with Barcola suffering from cramp in midweek, another start against Fulham today wouldn't go amiss for the England international.