Gary Neville reveals what ‘stunned’ him in interview with Liverpool star Alexander-Arnold

Gary Neville has revealed why he was “mesmerised” by Trent Alexander-Arnold in an interview with the Liverpool star.

The right-back was a key part of Liverpool’s success under Jurgen Klopp after the German boss promoted him from the club’s academy, and he’s continued to shine under new manager Arne Slot.

Neville has recalled what “stunned” him in an interview with Alexander-Arnold last year on the Stick to Football podcast.

Neville said: “I interviewed him for two or three hours last season. Roy, honestly, I was stunned.”

“Honestly no I was mesmerised by, I was mesmerised by the fact that, you know, you have sort of, you look at someone, you think he’s a brilliant player, but then you look at him, I’ve been critical of him defensively, you’ve been critical of him.

“You’ve said he shouldn’t play in midfield. I could not believe how much he knew about football historically in the last 20, 25 years, and how many games he watched and how much into it he was.

“And then maybe I shouldn’t be surprised but I couldn’t believe it. He was asking loads of questions, he was dead inquisitive.”

Slot has claimed three wins from three games as Reds boss having replaced Jurgen Klopp in the summer, with his side yet to concede a Premier league goals.

Alexander-Arnold has started all three of those games but has been taken off with around 20 minutes to play in each of those three games and hasn’t been best pleased about it.

The right-back – who also starred for Lee Carsley’s England during the international break – is out of contract at the end of the season and rumours of interest from Real Madrid aren’t going away .

And with that uncertainty over his future at Anfield, Scholes has questioned whether Slot really “likes” Alexander-Arnold after the manager’s visible frustration with the 25-year-old on the touchline against United.

“Watching that Sunday game, every time he gave the ball away he [Slot] was shaking his head,” the former Manchester United midfielder said on The Overlap . “He kept looking away and turning around to his bench.

“He was trying these long balls, which obviously he can do brilliantly. I thought, ‘I’m not sure if he likes him’.”

Jamie Carragher was taken aback by Scholes’ claim, though did admit Slot may want Alexander-Arnold to limit the Hail Marys.

“I think the way Slot wants to play, he doesn’t want these long balls as much,” Jamie Carragher said. “He will want him to stay as a player.”

Scholes praised backup right-back Conor Bradley in response, before Carragher joked: “You’re trying to get rid of him [Alexander-Arnold], aren’t you?”

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There are no signs of positive negotiations between Alexander-Arnold and Liverpool as he enters the final 12 months of his contract but Carragher believes the local lad will find it “difficult” to leave the club.

“I think his situaton at Liverpool is really interesting,” former Reds man Carragher said of his contract scenario. “I always feel like at Liverpool and you’re a local player, leaving the club is difficult.

“You have three players in [Mohamed] Salah, [Virgil] van Dijk and Trent. I think the reaction from Liverpool supporters, with Trent it will be different. If you go through it – [Steve] McManaman, [Steven] Gerrard, the fans completely turned.

“I think he will be treated differently and it was interesting in the first game when he came off and he looked a little bit unhappy on the bench. Even though he’d only been there for two games, it was a little bit like, ‘Who do you think you are?'”

Liverpool take on Nottingham Forest at Anfield this weekend as the Premier League returns following the international break.