As first impressions go, Trent Alexander-Arnold might not be too thrilled with the way Thomas Tuchel is going about things as England manager.
With the drama of his exit from Liverpool and his move to Real Madrid out of the way, the right-back might have been looking forward to finally stamping his authority on international duty as he got his first taste of life under Tuchel.
It’s a case of the same old story for the 26-year-old though, having been named on the bench against Andorra at the weekend - with former Liverpool teammate Curtis Jones rather embarrassingly being preferred at right-back instead - and suffering the same fate for Tuesday’s friendly against Senegal, with Kyle Walker getting the nod instead this time.
Liverpool fans may well be breathing a sigh of relief that they don’t have to feel obligated to come to his defense anymore, but whichever way you look at it, things still don’t look all that promising for Alexander-Arnold with the Three Lions.
Of course, he has enjoyed a superb career even without making his mark on the international scene. But even he must feel some frustration at the continued lack of opportunities for him with England, especially given his lofty ambitions.
Having now had his move to Madrid confirmed, Alexander-Arnold has set his sights high - very high, in fact. The right-back has already outlined his dream of winning the Ballon d’Or, something which he’ll no doubt feel his new side will be able to help him achieve.
"I want to be the first full-back to ever do it,” he said back in October.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers sit on the bench ahead of England's friendly against Senegal
Trent Alexander-Arnold continues to find himself out of favor with England (Image: Getty Images)
“It's only the morning after you retire that you're able to look in the mirror and say, 'I gave it everything I got'.
“It doesn't matter how many trophies you win, or how many medals you've got. It matters what you give to the game and if you reach your full potential."
The problem with that statement is that trophies absolutely do matter if you’re hoping to lift the Ballon d’Or. That should be no issue at a club like Real, but then there are plenty of other players at the Bernabeu who would be vying for the honor.
So how do you set yourself apart from the others? Well, win something on the international stage - just ask Rodri.
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The problem is, if Alexander-Arnold isn’t even getting in Tuchel’s team, then his Ballon d’Or dream is going to take a major blow, even if England goes on to win the World Cup next year.
The fact that he still can’t get a start ahead of Walker won’t be seen as a promising sign, and everyone knows that Tuchel is a big fan of Reece James, who would surely be Alexander-Arnold’s long-term rival at right-back.
That Ballon d’Or dream would almost certainly have played a big part in his decision to depart Liverpool for Madrid, but if he’s not going to get into Tuchel’s plans, then the move might turn out to have all been for nothing. Not that Reds fans will care too much at this point.