Trent Alexander-Arnold earned high praise from Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa following his standout performance in the team’s 4-1 victory over Real Sociedad.

Challenging Start at Real Madrid

The 27-year-old former Liverpool defender has faced a tough debut season with Los Blancos, limited to just six La Liga starts due to persistent injuries. His form drew some criticism, compounded by the departure of manager Xabi Alonso last month, whom Arbeloa replaced. Earlier rumors in January suggested Arbeloa advised Alexander-Arnold to leave, but those reports have been dismissed.

Impressive Comeback Performance

Alexander-Arnold marked his first start in over two months with an assist during the emphatic win. Arbeloa highlighted his versatility and intelligence post-match.

“Working with [Alexander-Arnold], he strikes me as a very intelligent guy, who understands the game very well, and quickly grasps what we want from him,” Arbeloa stated. “He’s not the typical full-back who’s always going to be out wide, he can also play centrally. We want players to be able to interchange positions. We’re lucky to have a player like that.”

World Cup Ambitions

With injuries hopefully behind him, Alexander-Arnold aims to secure a spot in England’s 2026 World Cup squad for the tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. England manager Thomas Tuchel plans to connect with fringe players like him to outline improvement areas.

Tuchel explained: “First of all, it’s my job now to make contact with everyone, players like Trent. Players that are on our long list, 55, 60 players, to reach out to them, be in touch with them, explain to them why they were not here. Explain to them what they have to do, where they can improve. Can they even do something or is it just a choice. So this is my job in the next weeks and months. I hate phone calls. Better on FaceTime. Then I see the expression, at least, and get a feeling for the person. Or I need to visit them, visit training, training grounds.”