Thomas Tuchel has addressed Trent Alexander-Arnold's England future while warning of the competition facing the former Liverpool star, who now plays for Real Madrid
Trent Alexander-Arnold's England career appears to be hanging in the balance
Trent Alexander-Arnold's England career appears to be hanging in the balance(Image: Photo by Pavel Lebeda/Soccrates/Getty Images)
Trent Alexander-Arnold has been warned by England manager Thomas Tuchel that it may be now-or-never for his international career.
In the victory against the Czech Republic earlier this week, former Liverpool defender Alexander-Arnold made his first start for the Three Lions in a little under two years. Prior to Tuesday's win, the 27-year-old's last start came in October 2024 against Finland in the Nations League, in which he was on the scoresheet.
His last appearance was in June 2025 against Andorra in World Cup qualifiers. On that occasion, he came on as a second-half substitute and played just 26 minutes.
That summer, he completed his move to Real Madrid, but injuries and a lack of minutes at club level prompted England boss Tuchel to overlook the right back in favor of other players.
This international break, Tuchel opted to bring Alexander-Arnold back into the fold, but insists the former Liverpool star still faces huge competition for a starting place.
Speaking ahead of England's meeting with Croatia on Saturday, Tuchel was asked whether it's now or never for Alexander-Arnold, given his age. "Good question," the England manager began. "Maybe, maybe a little bit. You always have the chance, I would say.
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Trent Alexander-Arnold registered an assist in England's recent win over Czechia
Trent Alexander-Arnold registered an assist in England's recent win over Czechia(Image: Photo by Sebastian Frej/Getty Images)
"Once you are in camp, it’s a big opportunity if other players are not here. You can impress and mark your territory and show his true capacity, that no one's doubting. It’s just not isolated about the position."
Tuchel also hinted at one of the reasons, beyond injuries, that Alexander-Arnold has been overlooked in recent years. He cited the on-field relationship with the right winger, normally Arsenal's Bukayo Saka, and the need to get the best out of it.
"Trent is a unique player. He is not a runner, he is not someone who runs through the last line, who does overlaps, underlaps," Tuchel continued.
"I think in combination with Bukayo Saka, Bukayo is normally used to a lot of movements around him. That brings normally the best out of Bukayo. They need also to find a way to not be too static.
"That’s maybe the challenge for Trent. To buy a little bit into a new idea and a bit out of his comfort zone. But he’s trying, and it’s never too late to prove a point.
"It is a bit of a strange one. So much competition and no one is like the one guy to play, because of injuries or because people cannot be available.
"So there is a little bit of a curse there as well. It was like that in the World Cup and obviously it doesn’t stop with me."
Alexander-Arnold marked his return to the pitch for England with an impressive assist for Anthony Gordon's opening goal in the win over the Czech Republic. His ball into Gordon prompted huge praise from the Barcelona forward himself, but it remains to be seen whether it was enough for Tuchel to place his faith in Alexander-Arnold against a trickier opponent in Croatia this weekend.