In May 2022, Trent Alexander-Arnold found himself under intense scrutiny after a crucial goal in the Champions League final condemned Liverpool to defeat.

From that moment on, a fierce debate erupted about the English player.

England’s national team sidelined him, his own teammates grew frustrated during matches, and even his coaches couldn’t agree on how best to utilize him.

Yet, in his lowest moment, Jürgen Klopp did something unthinkable — he redesigned the entire system solely to fit Alexander-Arnold’s unique abilities.

Klopp knew Trent could do things that neither the best midfielders nor forwards could do.

This is the story of how a full-back broke the rules of football.

When news broke that Alexander-Arnold was transferring to Real Madrid, many fans booed, despised, and even banned him from their local shops — despite Trent being a Liverpool icon.

Even Arne Slot, Liverpool’s new coach, admitted feeling somewhat disappointed with Trent at his farewell.

Amidst the boos and whistles during the emotional goodbye, Klopp turned off the television in disbelief.

He simply couldn’t understand why people still didn’t grasp who Trent really was.

Because he is neither a traditional full-back nor a midfielder.

So, who exactly is Trent Alexander-Arnold?

From a young age in Liverpool’s academy, Trent stood out for his exceptional vision and ball mastery.

Initially, he played in midfield positions where these talents shone brightest.

However, academy coaches shifted his destiny by converting him into a right-back.

Trent accepted the challenge, and a tailored plan was designed to maximize his strengths in this new role.

At Liverpool, the staff knew Trent was special.

Slowly, he carved out his place in Klopp’s plans.

The 2017-2018 season marked his big break when the starting right-back got injured, giving Trent a unique opportunity.

He soon proved he was a full-back with the soul of a midfielder.

His Champions League debut saw him score a stunning free-kick against Hoffenheim, instantly showcasing his offensive prowess.

One of the main reasons for Trent’s positional change was that playing in midfield limited his virtues.

Midfielders are constantly pressed from all sides, never knowing who will close them down next.

But as a full-back, Trent could see the field ahead, giving him more time and space to make decisions.

His first Premier League assist perfectly illustrated this: receiving the ball on the flank, he calmly scanned the pitch and delivered a precise pass to Mohamed Salah, who finished clinically.

Trent quickly became the youngest Liverpool player to start a Champions League final, though the team lost 3-1 to Real Madrid.

By the 2018-2019 season, he was firmly established as Liverpool’s starting right-back, and the club was transforming into Klopp’s “heavy metal” machine.

The system gave full-backs enormous attacking responsibility.

For example, Trent’s brilliant switch of play to left-back Andrew Robertson led to a key assist against Manchester City.

Robertson himself notched 11 assists that season, but Arnold surpassed records with the most assists by a defender in a Premier League season, earning a Guinness World Record.

His ability to deliver “gifts” to Liverpool’s forwards was so remarkable that many labeled him a disguised attacking midfielder — often acting as the team’s playmaker.

His vision was crucial in the famous 2019 Champions League semi-final comeback against Barcelona, where he assisted Wijnaldum and quickly took the corner that led to the decisive goal.

Later that year, Liverpool won the Champions League, with Trent included in the starting eleven at just 20 years old, cementing his status as one of the most influential full-backs globally.

A mural was even unveiled near Anfield, featuring the phrase: “I’m just a normal lad from Liverpool whose dream has come true,” echoing Trent’s humble words after the victory.

The following season, he became one of the Premier League’s standout stars, helping Liverpool win the league for the first time in 30 years.

He delivered 13 assists that campaign, only bested by Kevin De Bruyne.

By 2021-2022, Trent reached a career-high with 19 assists across all competitions, leading the Premier League in key passes along with De Bruyne — midfield maestros.

His 2.8 key passes per game were almost “Messi-like,” a staggering statistic for a defender.

Yet paradoxically, this season also marked the lowest point in his career.

Trent’s defensive limitations — his weakest area — became glaringly apparent.

He is not a defensive liability per se but has moments of significant and sometimes shocking lapses.

The 2022 Champions League final against Real Madrid was the harshest example.

Though he posed an offensive threat throughout, it was Vinicius Junior’s run behind Trent that led to the winning goal.

Trent was heavily criticized for failing to track his opponent.

The following season started poorly, with multiple defensive blunders drawing fan ire.

His form dipped so much that he was dropped from England’s squad prior to the World Cup.

The national coach preferred other full-backs deemed more complete defensively.

Gary Neville openly doubted Southgate would trust Trent in critical knockout games.

Trent did make the World Cup squad but only played 33 minutes in a group stage match when England was comfortably winning.

Tensions escalated further after a Champions League exit against Real Madrid, where Trent again faced harsh criticism.

This sparked debates about whether Liverpool should sign a new right-back.

His teammates defended him, and Klopp himself was baffled by the backlash.

Liverpool was struggling collectively, outside European qualification spots — the team’s worst spell under Klopp.

Urgent changes were needed.

Before a key match against Arsenal, Klopp spoke privately with Trent, unveiling a master plan focused on him.

The order was clear: follow Cristian Nieto on YouTube.

Trent rushed to subscribe and began understanding the new tactical approach.

Though unproven scientifically, things changed dramatically.

In that Arsenal game, Trent produced a stunning performance, delivering a perfect pass to Roberto Firmino for a 2-2 equalizer and nearly setting up a winner later.

After that talk and “subscription,” Trent contributed one goal and six assists in eight matches, helping Liverpool earn 22 of 24 possible points.

The Liverpool 2.0 era had begun.

But how can one tactical adjustment to a single player transform an entire team? Trent Alexander-Arnold isn’t just a player; he’s a rule-breaker.

Although he remained a right-back defensively, in possession he operated as a midfielder — a “inverted full-back.”

His heat maps reveal he started occupying central areas more frequently.

This posed risks, leaving gaps behind him.

Andrew Robertson had to curtail his forward runs, and Liverpool’s center-backs had to be vigilant against counter-attacks.

What did this achieve? With Trent integrated into midfield, Liverpool often gained numerical superiority there, adding fluidity to their play.

Trent acted as a fourth midfielder, frequently positioned as a deep-lying pivot initiating attacks.

From this role, he could calmly tell forwards, “Take the ball at your feet, lad.”

In advanced zones, his sublime passing ability allowed him to deliver killer final passes.

One memorable goal against Manchester City showed Trent arriving late from midfield to finish perfectly, silencing critics.

Even England’s manager Southgate attempted something similar during Euro 2024, deploying Trent as a pure midfielder in the first two matches — though he didn’t continue with this experiment.

With Klopp’s departure in summer 2024 and Arne Slot’s arrival, Trent’s role shifted again.

He moved back to wider positions, and Liverpool adopted a more disciplined defensive approach.

This helped Trent improve defensively throughout the season.

Yet Slot’s comments hinted at a truth: Trent could be a far better defender than he currently shows.

His offensive mindset is total, but switching to defensive focus remains a challenge.

Critics pointed to a poor game against Manchester United where Trent’s performance frustrated teammates, and a match versus Manchester City where he was dribbled past an astonishing 10 times — a Premier League record since 2015-16.

Despite these lapses, many Premier League experts hail him as the greatest full-back in the competition’s history — thanks mainly to his insane attacking output.

Trent holds the record for most assists by a defender in Premier League history.

Only Leighton Baines has been involved in more goals, but Trent achieved this in fewer games.

More impressively, since his debut, only four players have created more goal-scoring chances than him in England’s top flight — and he’s nearly level with teammate Mohamed Salah.

Only elite midfielders and attackers surpass his creative influence.

So how might Real Madrid capitalize on this? It depends on the role Xabi Alonso envisions for him.

At Bayer Leverkusen, Grimaldo became a key creative force by drifting inside, accumulating 48 goal involvements over two seasons — as a wing-back rather than a traditional full-back.

Madrid has missed Toni Kroos’ long diagonal passes that unlocked defenses.

Interestingly, Trent was the only player to exceed Kroos in long passes during Kroos’ final season at Madrid.

Trent could become the playmaker Madrid lacks — his true gift.

In conclusion, Alexander-Arnold has redefined the right-back role.

Many hate or misunderstand him, but it took a genius like Klopp to see beyond his flaws and realize something fundamental: when a player breaks the rules this profoundly, there are only two choices — change him or change the game.

And Trent Alexander-Arnold changed the game.